From: "Steve Scherrer" <Flatpick_at_teleport.com> > The other factor contributing to hypothermia with Military personel and > athletic types is the lack of body fat. You can take a highly tuned, > athletic body and a chubby outta shape couch 'tater and put 'em out in the > cold. Guess who wins? > The myth prevails. There is one factor that you're leaving out. Those who are out of shape and overweight do not control their blood vessel dilation very well. That's why chubby folks get red faced in cold weather. The blood flow, and the heat it carries, can negate the insulating effects of fat. The blood is pushing all the heat to the outer layers of the skin. Good physical conditioning, even in those with moderately high body fat, can result in the body having better control over this. Extremely low body fat can be a problem. I used to do Nordic ski racing with a body fat level nearer to a marathon runner and suffered a bit for it (I'm 30 pounds heavier now (twenty years later) and still considered skinny!) You need an optimal body fat level to really perform well in the cold. The ideal body shape for cold conditions is short and stocky - meaning relatively muscular rather than fat. This results in a high metabolic rate and a dense body mass combined with a low surface area. Compare a Masai to an Inuk - both optimized for their respective environments. Mike *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************Received on Mon Jan 01 2001 - 10:55:52 PST
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