3 ms·

>Standing under a freezing shower might sound like the quickest way to bring your temperature down. >But your body will react to a dramatic change like this by

>Standing under a freezing shower might sound like the quickest way to bring your temperature down. >But your body will react to a dramatic change like this by trying to preserve heat. >"If I'm hot and I go under a cold shower, I'll shut down the blood flow to the skin and trap the heat inside me rather than let it escape," says Tipton. >As a result, he says, it's better to use water that is in the 20s Celsius than water that is in the 10s. >"It's better to have a warmer shower that is cool enough to lower the deep body temperature but is warm enough to allow the blood to the surface of the skin." Is there any proof of this? Even if the body makes adjustments in an attempt to mitigate heat loss, I have doubts that these adjustments manage to make lukewarm water more effective at cooling than near-freezing water. That seems backwards, but maybe it is just contrary to my intuition. If 20 degree water is more effective at cooling than 10 degree water, how does 5 degree water compare? What if you shower in -10 degree liquid? Is 25 degree water even more cooling than 20 degree water because it is even closer to normal body temperature? I would like to see an experiment.

trhway 8y ago
there are a lot of proof and research on this, just google and pick for your taste. In general you want to (step 1.) transfer heat from inside the body to the skin/lungs and (step 2.) reject it from the skin/lungs into environment. While definitely improving step 2. the very cold water may cause blood vessels constriction and thus significantly worsen the step 1. The same machinery is behind the frostbites - cold environment causing blood vessels constriction and thus lower heat delivery to the skin, toes, fingers. On related note - reading recommendations for when for example a dog gets a heat stroke, you will find that ice or very cold water straight onto the belly may worsen the situation for exactly that reason. Also recommendations to in particular cool the head - pretty straight, not that much depending on blood vessels state, heat transfer from the brain preventing/slowing the damage. > What if you shower in -10 degree liquid? that takes blood flow mechanics play even further - you can get a heart attack by quick changes in blood flow caused by the blood vessels constriction (or quick expansion after that if you quickly get back into the warm environment - there was that story about a ship crew rescued from cold ocean water only to all drop dead from heart attack when they were immediately walked into a warm room on the rescue ship). On the good note - being a Russian i like and frequently do hot sauna until my heart can't take it anymore and jump into the cold water (or into the snow or river ice hole back then in Russia) straight after that - great fun enjoyed responsibly :) - the key here is having hot sauna to really expand your vessels so they wouldn't get immediately shut down by the cold water/ice and staying open they provide for efficient heat transfer.
Moru 8y ago
Try a sauna, it realy works.

trhway 8y ago

there are a lot of proof and research on this, just google and pick for your taste. In general you want to (step 1.) transfer heat from inside the body to the skin/lungs and (step 2.) reject it from the skin/lungs into environment. While definitely improving step 2. the very cold water may cause blood vessels constriction and thus significantly worsen the step 1. The same machinery is behind the frostbites - cold environment causing blood vessels constriction and thus lower heat delivery to the skin, toes, fingers. On related note - reading recommendations for when for example a dog gets a heat stroke, you will find that ice or very cold water straight onto the belly may worsen the situation for exactly that reason. Also recommendations to in particular cool the head - pretty straight, not that much depending on blood vessels state, heat transfer from the brain preventing/slowing the damage. > What if you shower in -10 degree liquid? that takes blood flow mechanics play even further - you can get a heart attack by quick changes in blood flow caused by the blood vessels constriction (or quick expansion after that if you quickly get back into the warm environment - there was that story about a ship crew rescued from cold ocean water only to all drop dead from heart attack when they were immediately walked into a warm room on the rescue ship). On the good note - being a Russian i like and frequently do hot sauna until my heart can't take it anymore and jump into the cold water (or into the snow or river ice hole back then in Russia) straight after that - great fun enjoyed responsibly :) - the key here is having hot sauna to really expand your vessels so they wouldn't get immediately shut down by the cold water/ice and staying open they provide for efficient heat transfer.

Moru 8y ago

Try a sauna, it realy works.