Let me elaborate on my hiatus – it's been a 16-month long saga with a persistent (and until last month), undiagnosed neck issue which is finally (FINALLY!!!) sorted! And as if that weren't enough drama, in an epic display of uncoordinatedness, I took an overly theatrical tumble involving my own leg and my platform Converse, which resulted in an elbow fracture. I could have swum sooner, but, I had no idea how long it takes all the ligaments and tendons around the break take to heal (ages, in case you were wondering). There's also been this nagging feeling of responsibility, knowing that despite SwimYourSwim's stellar safety team, taking a dip meant I could potentially have put others at risk should I need rescuing.
And so, back to now, and I’m ready to get back in. I know that I’ll be unable to pick up where I left off, it would be unsafe to think otherwise, and to ensure I avoid cold water shock, incapacitation and hypothermia, I know I should acclimatise myself to the colder temperatures through gradual exposure. So, I thought before I get back in, I’d start with refreshing my knowledge on acclimatisation – understanding what it is, why it's important, and how it affects my body, and I wanted to share my findings with you.
SO… to get started. Acclimatisation refers to the advantageous physiological adjustments that occur with repeated exposure to either hot or cold environments. And the reason we should acclimatise is that it lessens the cold shock's impact. It’s important to also add that acclimatisation doesn't shield you from incapacitation, swimming failure, or hypothermia. For me the Gatorade Sports Science Institute has broken it down into easily understandable language (and has some interesting research findings. I’ve added the link at the bottom), saying that it’s the biological adaptations that happen when you acclimatise that will reduce the physiological strain, such as heart rate and body temperature, improve comfort, enhance exercise capacity, and decrease the risks of serious cold-related illnesses during exposure to (in this case) cold stress.
And the great thing is that Mike Tipton, a Professor of Human & Applied Physiology at the Extreme Environments Laboratory in the School of Sport, Health & Exercise Science at the University of Portsmouth, with over three decades of expertise in thermoregulation, environmental physiology, and survival at sea, and a staggering 400+ publications in these fields, (so he's a pretty significant figure), says that it can take as few as six, three-minute immersions in cold water can reduce your cold shock response by as much as 50% - which is like music to my ears!!!
It is important to point out that he further emphasises that the process is more intricate than a simple equation. While your body can adjust to cold conditions through repeated outdoor swims, whether this adaptation proves beneficial hinges on the body's reactions to adverse stimuli.
He further explains that there are three physiological responses linked with entering cold water that present potential risks. Firstly, the cold shock response which manifests as uncontrollable gasping, rapid breathing, and increased heart rate for approximately 90 seconds upon immersion. Secondly, the cooling of nerves and muscles near the body's surface, notably in the limbs, can lead to incapacitation and hinder exercise when cooled significantly. Lastly, hypothermia occurs when the deep body temperature drops below 35°C, typically taking at least 30 minutes to develop in an adult exposed to cold water, and each of these responses undergoes varying degrees of adaptation with repeated exposure to cold water, and each of these responses adjusts differently with repeated exposure to cold water.
So, how do we go about acclimatising?
Dr Heather Massey a swimmer and a researcher at the Extreme Environments Laboratory at the University of Portsmouth says: ‘The secret to acclimatising to cold water is just to swim in it, often – at least once a week, and preferably two or three, gradually extending the time that you stay in the water,’ she advises though to, ‘get out if you are not comfortable, and don’t set time goals for staying in the water.’
Leon Fryer, owner of SwimYourSwim, and widely recognized as a foremost authority on cold water and ice swimming, having overseen the highest number of successful official ice miles globally (currently at 124) when asked the best way to acclimatise, echoes Dr Massey’s advice saying: “Gradually. Just keep swimming. Start in the summer and work your way down (in temperature) nice and gradually…”
And that’s what I fully intend to do. There’s no doubt that there will be some pretty uncomfortable moments to start off with, it’s not my first rodeo, I already have good idea of how this will go and how my body will respond, and so to help make it as pleasanter experience as possible, I have also roped in a few swim friends to yell encouraging and motivational words at me from the lake side (this will also serve to drown out the awful swear words that will come out of my mouth). I’ve given the heads up (hinted massively – which is the same thing really) to the Swim Buddy that her home-made lemon drizzle cake will most definitely work wonders as part of my post swim recovery, and bought myself a new costume, which will be of no practical help whatsoever, but I think well delinitely help to motivate me - 100%. It was also in the sale and I liked the pattern… so there's also that... I really cannot wait!
Before I go, I feel it's important to issue a brief, but really important, caution. Whilst there are many reported benefits to cold water swimming, as I’ve just touched on, cold water swimming carries notable risks, with cold shock being the most dangerous reaction. Please prioritise your safety by researching its potential dangers, and if you’re uncertain, seek medical advice before swimming. I’m not an expert, and am only touching on acclimatisation in this blog, so, I’ve added the details of a paper in the British Journal of Sports Medicine, offering strategies to mitigate potential risks linked to cold water immersion written by Mike Tipton and his colleagues for your reference, along with some other relevant sites to visit.
Thanks for checking this out! I hope you found it, along with the links I've included at the bottom, informative, helpful, and actionable.
Don't forget to give me a follow on Instagram and TikTok (yep, I've caved in), where I'll be sharing updates regularly!
The information covered here by Professor Mike Tipton (2022) is available to read here: https://www.port.ac.uk/news-events-and-blogs/blogs/health-and-wellbeing/cold-water-swimming-what-you-can-do-to-acclimatise-to-the-temperature
Gatorade Sports Science Institute website: https://www.gssiweb.org/sports-science-exchange/article/sse-153-heat-acclimatization-to-improve-athletic-performance-in-warm-hot-environments).
Dr Heather Massey for OSS article HOW TO ACCLIMATISE. The science and practise of adapting to cold water at: https://www.outdoorswimmingsociety.com/how-to-acclimatise-to-cold-water/
SwimChatSnack full interview with Leon Fryer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbB1LAYCXbA
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