Skip to main content
PMC home page
The Journal of Physiology logoLink to The Journal of Physiology
. 1966 Sep;186(1):216–232. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1966.sp008030

Body temperature, shivering, blood pressure and heart rate during a standard cold stress in Australia and Antarctica

G M Budd, N Warhaft
PMCID: PMC1395888  PMID: 5914255

Abstract

1. Four men of European descent were exposed naked to an air temperature of 10° C for 2 hr in Australia, and again after 24 weeks' residence at Mawson, Antarctica.

2. Their ability to maintain rectal temperature during the test cold exposure significantly improved at Mawson. Shivering and cold diuresis did not change. The response of skin temperature did not change significantly except for a small increase in toe temperature. Bradycardia caused by the cold exposure was significantly greater at Mawson, but the rise in blood pressure did not change. Spontaneous fluctuations in rectal temperature that occurred during the cold exposure were intensified at Mawson.

3. The results confirm those of a previous study at Mawson, and are attributed to general acclimatization to cold. It is suggested that tissue insulation increased as a result of enhanced vasoconstriction.

Full text

PDF
217

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. ADAMS T., COVINO B. G. Racial variations to a standardized cold stress. J Appl Physiol. 1958 Jan;12(1):9–12. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1958.12.1.9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. ADAMS T., HEBERLING E. J. Human physiological responses to a standardized cold stress as modified by physical fitness. J Appl Physiol. 1958 Sep;13(2):226–230. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1958.13.2.226. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. ARNETT E. L., WATTS D. T. Catecholamine excretion in men exposed to cold. J Appl Physiol. 1960 May;15:499–500. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1960.15.3.499. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. BEHNKE A. R., YAGLOU C. P. Physiological responses of men to chilling in ice water and to slow and fast rewarming. J Appl Physiol. 1951 Apr;3(10):591–602. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1951.3.10.591. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. BUDD G. M. Acclimatization to cold in Antarctica as shown by rectal temperature. Response to a standard cold stress. Nature. 1962 Mar 3;193:886–886. doi: 10.1038/193886a0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Budd G. M. Effects of cold exposure and exercise in a wet, cold antarctic climate. J Appl Physiol. 1965 May;20(3):417–422. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1965.20.3.417. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Budd G. M. Skin temperature, thermal comfort, sweating, clothing and activity of men sledging in Antarctica. J Physiol. 1966 Sep;186(1):201–215. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1966.sp008029. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Budd G. M., Warhaft N. Cardiovascular and metabolic responses to noradrenaline in man, before and after acclimatization to cold in Antarctica. J Physiol. 1966 Sep;186(1):233–242. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1966.sp008031. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. CANNON P., KEATINGE W. R. The metabolic rate and heat loss of fat and thin men in heat balance in cold and warm water. J Physiol. 1960 Dec;154:329–344. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1960.sp006582. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. DRIVER A. F. Physiological characteristics in relation to climatic preference. J Appl Physiol. 1958 Nov;13(3):430–434. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1958.13.3.430. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. FROESE G., BURTON A. C. Heat losses from the human head. J Appl Physiol. 1957 Mar;10(2):235–241. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1957.10.2.235. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. GRAYSON J. Observations on blood flow in human intestine. Br Med J. 1950 Dec 30;2(4695):1465–1470. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.4695.1465. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. GRAYSON J. Observations on the temperature of the human rectum. Br Med J. 1951 Dec 8;2(4744):1379–1382. doi: 10.1136/bmj.2.4744.1379. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. GRAYSON J. Vascular reactions in the human intestine. J Physiol. 1949 Sep;109(3-4):439–447. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1949.sp004407. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. HEBERLING E. J., ADAMS T. Relation of changing levels of physical fitness to human cold acclimatization. J Appl Physiol. 1961 Mar;16:226–230. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1961.16.2.226. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. HONG S. K. Comparison of diving and nondiving women of Korea. Fed Proc. 1963 May-Jun;22:831–833. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. KEATINGE W. R., MCCANCE R. A. Increase in venous and arterial pressures during sudden exposure to cold. Lancet. 1957 Aug 3;273(6988):208–209. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(57)91594-5. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. KEATINGE W. R. The effect of repeated daily exposure to cold and of improved physical fitness on the metabolic and vascular response to cold air. J Physiol. 1961 Jul;157:209–220. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1961.sp006716. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. LEBLANC J. Evidence and meaning of acclimatization to cold in man. J Appl Physiol. 1956 Nov;9(3):395–398. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1956.9.3.395. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. LEWIS H. E., MASTERTON J. P., ROSENBAUM S. Body weight and skinfold thickness of men on a polar expedition. Clin Sci. 1960 Nov;19:551–561. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. MILAN F. A., ELSNER R. W., RODAHL K. Thermal and metabolic responses of men in the Antarctic to a standard cold stress. J Appl Physiol. 1961 May;16:401–404. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1961.16.3.401. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. RODAHL K. Nutritional factors in cold acclimatization. J Occup Med. 1960 Apr;2:177–contd. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from The Journal of Physiology are provided here courtesy of The Physiological Society

RESOURCES