Inexperienced water users can "Float to Live" in realistic open water conditions.

Background: The RNLI "Float to Live" campaign is based on research conducted in indoor pools with experienced open water swimmers. Study 1 investigated whether the RNLI "Float to Live" guidance would enable less experienced individuals to float in realistic open water conditions. Study 2 examined the separate effects of practice and coaching on floating competence.

Nitrate ingestion blunts the increase in blood pressure during cool air exposure: a double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized, crossover trial.

Cold exposure increases blood pressure (BP) and salivary flow rate (SFR). Increased cold-induced SFR would be hypothesized to enhance oral nitrate delivery for reduction to nitrite by oral anaerobes and to subsequently elevate plasma [nitrite] and nitric oxide bioavailability. We tested the hypothesis that dietary nitrate supplementation would increase plasma [nitrite] and lower BP to a greater extent in cool compared with normothermic conditions.

Habituation of the cold shock response: A systematic review and meta-analysis.

Cold water immersion (CWI) evokes the life-threatening reflex cold shock response (CSR), inducing hyperventilation, increasing cardiac arrhythmias, and increasing drowning risk by impairing safety behaviour. Repeated CWI induces CSR habituation (i.e.

Plasma biomarkers of endothelial function, inflammation and oxidative stress in individuals with non-freezing cold injury.

New Findings: What is the central question of this study? Are biomarkers of endothelial function, oxidative stress and inflammation altered by non-freezing cold injury (NFCI)? What is the main finding and its importance? Baseline plasma [interleukin-10] and [syndecan-1] were elevated in individuals with NFCI and cold-exposed control participants. Increased [endothelin-1] following thermal challenges might explain, in part, the increased pain/discomfort experienced with NFCI. Mild to moderate chronic NFCI does not appear to be associated with either oxidative stress or a pro-inflammatory state.

Peripheral sensory function in non-freezing cold injury patients and matched controls.

What is the central question of this study? Is peripheral sensory function impaired in the chronic phase of non-freezing cold injury (NFCI)? What is the main finding and its importance? Warm and mechanical detection thresholds are elevated and intraepidermal nerve fibre density is reduced in individuals with NFCI in their feet when compared to matched controls. This indicates impaired sensory function in individuals with NFCI. Interindividual variation was observed in all groups, and therefore a diagnostic cut-off for NFCI has yet to be established.

The peripheral vascular responses in non-freezing cold injury and matched controls.

New Findings: What is the central question of this study? Does non-freezing cold injury (NFCI) alter normal peripheral vascular function? What is the main finding and its importance? Individuals with NFCI were more cold sensitive (rewarmed more slowly and felt more discomfort) than controls. Vascular tests indicated that extremity endothelial function was preserved with NFCI and that sympathetic vasoconstrictor response might be reduced. The pathophysiology underpinning the cold sensitivity associated with NFCI thus remains to be identified.

Quantifying Risk in Air Sports: Flying Activity and Incident Rates in Paragliding.

Introduction: The volume, nature, and risks of paragliding are poorly quantified. More comprehensive understanding, including incident rates allowing comparison to similar disciplines, will help direct and appraise safety interventions.

Methods: Paraglider pilots were surveyed regarding experience, incidents, recordkeeping, and risk perception.

ACSM Expert Consensus Statement: Injury Prevention and Exercise Performance during Cold-Weather Exercise.

Cold injury can result from exercising at low temperatures and can impair exercise performance or cause lifelong debility or death. This consensus statement provides up-to-date information on the pathogenesis, nature, impacts, prevention, and treatment of the most common cold injuries.

Paraglider Reserve Parachute Deployment Under Radial Acceleration.

The paragliding reserve parachute system is safety-critical but underused, unstandardized, and known to fail. This study aimed to characterize reserve parachute deployment under radial acceleration to make recommendations for system design and paraglider pilot training. There were 88 licensed amateur paraglider pilots who were filmed deploying their reserve parachutes from a centrifuge.

Timing of acute passive heating on glucose tolerance and blood pressure in people with type 2 diabetes: a randomized, balanced crossover, control trial.

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by chronic hyperglycemia and progressive insulin resistance, leading to macro and microvascular dysfunction. Passive heating has potential to improve glucose homeostasis and act as an exercise mimetic. We assessed the effect of acute passive heating before or during an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) in people with T2DM.

Infrared cameras overestimate skin temperature during rewarming from cold exposure.

Objective: The primary aim of this study was to assess the accuracy of an infrared camera and that of a skin thermistor, both commercially available. The study aimed to assess the agreement over a wide range of skin temperatures following cold exposure.

Methods: Fifty-two males placed their right hand in a thin plastic bag and immersed it in 8 °C water for 30 min whilst seated in an air temperature of 30 °C.

Previous recreational cold exposure does not alter endothelial function or sensory thermal thresholds in the hands or feet.

New Findings: What is the central question of this study? Does recreational cold exposure result in cold sensitivity and is this associated with endothelial dysfunction and impaired sensory thermal thresholds? What is the main finding and its importance? Previous cold exposure was correlated with cold sensitivity of the foot, which might indicate the development of a subclinical non-freezing cold injury. Endothelial function and thermal detection were not impaired in cold-sensitive individuals; therefore, further research is required to understand the pathophysiology of subclinical and clinical forms of non-freezing cold injury.

Abstract: In this study, we investigated whether cold-sensitive (CS) individuals, who rewarm more slowly after a mild cold challenge, have impaired endothelial function and sensory thermal thresholds (STTs) and whether this is related to reported cold exposure.

Cognitive Function in Simulated Paragliding Flight.

Paragliding is an emerging discipline of aviation, with recreational pilots flying distances over 100 km. It remains risky. Accidents typically relate to pilot error rather than equipment failure.

"Beet" the cold: beetroot juice supplementation improves peripheral blood flow, endothelial function, and anti-inflammatory status in individuals with Raynaud's phenomenon.

Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) is characterized by recurrent transient peripheral vasospasm and lower nitric oxide (NO) bioavailability in the cold. We investigated the effect of nitrate-rich beetroot juice (BJ) supplementation on ) NO-mediated vasodilation, ) cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC) and skin temperature (T) following local cooling, and ) systemic anti-inflammatory status. Following baseline testing, 23 individuals with RP attended four times, in a double-blind, randomized crossover design, following acute and chronic (14 days) BJ and nitrate-depleted beetroot juice (NDBJ) supplementation.

The Physiology of Paragliding Flight at Moderate and Extreme Altitudes.

Wilkes, Matt, Martin J. MacInnis, Lucy A. Hawkes, Heather Massey, Clare Eglin, and Michael J.

Thermographic imaging in sports and exercise medicine: A Delphi study and consensus statement on the measurement of human skin temperature.

The importance of using infrared thermography (IRT) to assess skin temperature (t) is increasing in clinical settings. Recently, its use has been increasing in sports and exercise medicine; however, no consensus guideline exists to address the methods for collecting data in such situations. The aim of this study was to develop a checklist for the collection of t using IRT in sports and exercise medicine.

Effects of dietary nitrate supplementation on the response to extremity cooling and endothelial function in individuals with cold sensitivity. A double blind, placebo controlled, crossover, randomised control trial.

Individuals with cold sensitivity have low peripheral skin blood flow and skin temperature possibly due to reduced nitric oxide (NO•) bioavailability. Beetroot has a high concentration of inorganic nitrate and may increase NO-mediated vasodilation. Using a placebo-controlled, double blind, randomised, crossover design, this study tested the hypotheses that acute beetroot supplementation would increase the rate of cutaneous rewarming following a local cold challenge and augment endothelium-dependent vasodilation in cold sensitive individuals.

Role of cyclooxygenase in the vascular responses to extremity cooling in Caucasian and African males.

What is the central question of this study? Compared with Caucasians, African individuals are more susceptible to non-freezing cold injury and experience greater cutaneous vasoconstriction and cooler finger skin temperatures upon hand cooling. We investigated whether the enzyme cyclooxygenase is, in part, responsible for the exaggerated response to local cooling. What is the main finding and its importance? During local hand cooling, individuals of African descent experienced significantly lower finger skin blood flow and skin temperature compared with Caucasians irrespective of cyclooxygenase inhibition.

Role of cyclooxygenase in the vascular response to locally delivered acetylcholine in Caucasian and African descent individuals.

Introduction: Individuals of African descent (AFD) are more susceptible to non-freezing cold injury (NFCI) compared with Caucasian individuals (CAU). Vasodilatation to acetylcholine (ACh) is lower in AFD compared with CAU in the non-glabrous foot and finger skin sites; the reason for this is unknown. Prostanoids are responsible, in part, for the vasodilator response to ACh, however it is not known whether the contribution differs between ethnicities.