In the last 4-5 years there has been a rise in the popularity of wild swimming, cold water immersion (this driven by the books and videos featuring Wim Hof), and hot/cold contrast treatments (sauna to ice barrel and back). During the pandemic, small groups sprang up all over the UK as individuals hoped to draw courage from group members during their morning dive into a cold river, lake, or ocean. As positive as many believe this to be for mental health the process is not without its drawbacks (even dangers).

My guest today is Dr. Mike Tipton. Mike is a Professor of Human & Applied Physiology working out of Extreme Environments Laboratory at Portsmouth University.

He is one of the world's leading experts when it comes to researching how humans respond to extreme environments, which means he's the ideal person to guide us through how to use hot and cold environments to enhance performance, recovery, and mental health.

In this conversation, we chat about:

What really happens to the body when you expose it to extreme heat or cold

How to prepare for racing in hot and humid conditions

Why heart rate and rate of perceived exertion are better than pace and power for monitoring effort in hot races

Can heat training provide the same benefits as altitude training?

The dangers of cold water swimming and why you should always have a swim buddy

Does repeated cold water exposure really have health benefits?

 

To find out more about Mike Tipton, please follow him on Twitter @ProfMikeTipton

 

Below are some links to Dr. Tipton's research that you may find useful:

Research

EiC Experimental Physiology:

Publications

Coaches, triathletes, open water swimmers and anyone who swims regularly in cold or wild water might be interested in the International Drowning Researchers' Alliance (IDRA) of which Mike is a co-Founder.

 

We also mentioned:

The Blue Tits Chill Swimmers- this is a good place to start if you want to find a group local to you for cold water swimming. REMEMBER: Never go cold water swimming alone.

Lewis Pugh - Ice Swimmer - find out more about him HERE at his website or watch this video of him doing the first swim across the North Pole.

 

You may also be interested in these articles:

Cold water immersion: Kill or cure

Heat stress and dehydration in adapting for performance: Good, bad, both, or neither? 

Moving in extreme environments: Open water swimming in cold and warm water

Sudden cardiac death during open water swimming 

 

Mike also recommended the following books that he has enjoyed recently

Barrow’s Boys - In the 1800s, John Barrow, Second Secretary to the Admiralty, launched the most ambitious programme of exploration the world had ever seen. Between 1816 and 1845 his hand-picked teams of elite naval officers scoured the globe's empty spaces.

Everest - The First Ascent. The untold story of Griffith Pugh, the man who made it possible.

Iron War - Dave Scott vs Mark Allen. The story of the greater ironman race ever.

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