It is, in case you hadn’t noticed, cold outside. At the same time, a sizeable chunk of the population is planning to get fitter this year. With millions hitting the roads, fields and possibly even lakes over the coming weeks, the obvious question is: how cold is too cold? There’s nothing wrong with channelling your inner Rocky Balboa, but might you be risking your health – or even your life – by braving the frost? And what can you do about it?
Firstly, it’s important to understand that exercising can make it tougher to perceive a shift in body temperature. In one recent study, researchers partially submerged 11 healthy young men in a tank of cold water and had them either rest or do low-intensity cycling, monitoring their oxygen uptake, body temperature and perception of cold. The results were slightly surprising: even though the subjects’ core temperature was roughly the same in both tests, exercise slightly blunted their shivering response and ability to feel the cold. It’s not clear from the study whether exactly the same thing could happen in cold air, but it’s a cause for concern.
