Tips To Increase Performance In Cold Environment

Cold climate has a great impact on enduring exercise and high-intensity performances. Some measures can help the performer to manage cold environments

Muscular endurance can be achieved in cold environment with the help of high-intensity exercises. High-intensity exercises let the performer make repeated contractions. The cooling of muscles can offer wonderful benefits to muscular endurance. The performer can achieve lower maximal power that can be sustained for longer period. Decreased metabolic rate in the muscle reduces the drain on any anaerobic energy systems.

If the temperature of muscles continues to fall in cold environment, it can decrease muscular endurance. This condition can occur, when the temperature is below 27 degree Celsius. The strength of the muscles and the maximal power are reduced at low muscle temperature. The reduction in muscular shortening velocity is the main reason for lower muscle temperature. The slow down of chemical reaction in the muscles also contribute to increase in muscle viscosity.

We all know cold environment can reduce the capacity of exercising. However, it is not due to the decrease in the temperature. There is some other reason behind this. According to a study made by Galloway and Maughan, the oxygen uptake and minute ventilation of cycling are responsible for reducing the exercising capability. They observed the oxygen uptake and minute ventilation of cycling at various temperatures and they concluded that they tend to increase while exercising at 4 degree Celsius.

The increase in minute ventilations and oxygen uptake are due to the increased muscle tone, which would be caused before shivering starts. Sometimes, increased muscle tone may also happen at the time of shivering itself. Shivering is actually supported by the muscle glycogen stores and blood glucose. Increase in ventilation typically means that the respiratory system demands more during exercise in the cold environment. Sometimes, this may result in cold induced asthma. The problem may be severe, if the person is already suffering from asthma.

Cold environment tends to decrease maximal heart rate as well. The fall in the level of oxygen causes reduction in oxygen uptake. The fall in maximal heart rate and oxygen tightly bonded to hemoglobin level in the blood are the main cause for the fall in oxygen uptake. This in turn may reduce the maximal cardiac output, which decides how much blood is delivered to the muscles that are working while performing. Hence, fall in the cardiac output may result in less blood and less oxygen is delivered to working muscles.

In cold environment, hemoglobin binds the oxygen molecules and so less oxygen is delivered to the working muscles form the blood.