The impact of low temperature on the human body

Under normal circumstances, the body temperature of the human body is within a normal range. If the body temperature is too high or too low, it will cause great harm to human health and affect human physiological functions. Especially if the body temperature is too high for a long time, it will generally burn the brain and cause many complications. But if the body is in a low temperature state for a long time, what effect will it have on the body?

Effects of low temperature on human body

1. Easy to get tired

For every 1°C drop in temperature, enzyme activity decreases by 50%, making people more prone to fatigue.

2. Reduced immunity

When the body temperature drops by 1°C, the immunity of white blood cells will decrease by 37%. Therefore, people with low body temperature are more likely to catch a cold during the change of seasons.

3. Autonomic nervous function and hormone balance are affected

Hypothermia can affect autonomic nervous function and cause hormone imbalance, so women’s menstrual irregularities or premenstrual syndrome may be related to this.

4. Decreased basal metabolic rate

Low body temperature makes it difficult to consume calories, which will cause cell metabolism to decline and skin to deteriorate. For every 1°C drop in body temperature, the basal metabolic rate will decrease by 12%, and the ability to consume calories will become weaker. Therefore, even if they eat the same food, people with low body temperature are more likely to gain weight.

5. Poor blood circulation

For people with low body temperature, the peripheral blood vessels in the hands and feet will constrict, making it difficult for blood to circulate. Moreover, the heart's power to transport blood will be weakened, causing blood circulation throughout the body to worsen.

What are the effects of low temperature environment on human health?

First, it causes local frostbite, which is related to the length of time a person is exposed to a low temperature environment; second, it produces systemic effects. When the human body is exposed to a low temperature environment for a short time, it can rely on the temperature regulation system to keep the body temperature stable. However, when the exposure time is long, the core body temperature gradually decreases, and a series of hypothermia symptoms will appear, such as increased breathing and heart rate, shivering, etc., followed by discomfort reactions such as headaches. When the core body temperature drops to 30-33℃, the muscles change from trembling to stiffness and lose their heat-producing function. In severe cases, death will occur. Working under low temperature conditions for a long time (such as workers in cold storage) can easily cause myalgia, myositis, neuralgia, neuritis, low back pain and rheumatic diseases.

What are the effects of exercising in a low temperature environment on the human body?

1. Low temperature can make muscles stiff and increase viscosity. This can easily lead to sports injuries, and exposed body parts are also prone to frostbite.

2. Wearing warm clothing due to the cold can make movement inconvenient and add extra burden to exercise.

3. Low temperature can reduce the excitability of excitable tissues (such as nerves, muscles and glands) and reduce the activity of enzymes, which will have an adverse effect on exercise.

4. Low temperature can cause the metabolic process in the human body to intensify and increase oxygen consumption. The oxygen consumption during maximum intensity exercise in windy weather while wearing wet clothes is 15 to 20 times higher than the oxygen consumption during the same intensity exercise in a comfortable environment. The increased oxygen consumption is due to shivering.

5. Exercising in a low-temperature environment will reduce maximum oxygen uptake. Swimming in cold water significantly reduces the peak VO2max that reflects exercise performance. Because the heat conduction capacity in water is about 25 times greater than that in air.

6. If the ambient temperature is too low, it can lower body temperature. A drop in body temperature will cause a decrease in blood oxygen dissociation, thereby aggravating tissue hypoxia during exercise.