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Extending your open-water season and swimming through the colder months has multiple benefits (more on that later), but the stumbling block for many is that cold water can be unpleasant at best \u2013 and dangerous at worst.<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n So we went to one of the UK\u2019s leading brains in everything sporty, Professor Greg Whyte. This is the man who coached Little Britain\u2019<\/i>s David Walliams to swim the Channel, after all, so I\u2019m thinking he\u2019ll have no problem advising us triathletes on how to swim relatively modest distances in chilly lakes\u2026.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cTo some extent, human physiology\u2019s homogenous,\u201d Greg explains. \u201cWe\u2019re pretty\u00a0 much all the same, but with two key differences. One is your somatotype (body type) as fat makes a big difference, particularly the insulating subcutaneous fat that sits beneath the skin. Mass to body surface area ratio is important, too. <\/span><\/p>\n So if you\u2019re quite short, squat and spherical, you\u2019ll cope with cold water more naturally because you\u2019ve got a high body mass to body surface area ratio.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Greg has bad news for me, though (despite my lockdown relationship with Mr Kipling): \u201cYou\u2019re not the body shape that would make a classic open-water cold swimmer because you\u2019re too thin,\u201d Greg says. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSo that makes it much tougher, plus you\u2019re quite tall. What that means is that you\u2019re almost like a radiator \u2013 you dissipate heat rapidly. So you\u2019ve got a lot of surface area, but not a huge amount of mass. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cPutting a little bit of extra weight on to give a little bit of insulation with excessive cold open water is a positive thing, so I absolutely wouldn\u2019t be looking to strip weight now!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n So unless I want to really hit the snacks hard (and I\u2019m not keen, as that won\u2019t help my running or cycling much), what else can be done to acclimatise before the colder months? <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cA key factor is exposure and experience,\u201d says Greg. \u201cPeople who are constantly exposed to cold environments cope a little bit better because they have much better \u2018thermal comfort\u2019. So they don\u2019t feel the cold as much because they\u2019re constantly exposed to it.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n This concept of \u2018thermal comfort\u2019 is the only real adaptation we have available to us as humans, so I\u2019m keen to make the most of this in the last of the warmer months. For me, this means starting to swim regularly without my wetsuit, so it\u2019s less of a shock when the colder months come. <\/span><\/p>\n Channel swimmers are famously big fans of cold showers, too, and Greg agrees that this can be helpful, but the bad news? Hot showers and baths are off the menu, as I\u2019d just be undoing all my good work.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou have receptors in the skin, \u2018nociceptors\u2019, which measure temperature. What you\u2019re trying to do is desensitise those so they get used to the cold. And the problem is, if you expose them to heat on a regular basis, they just don\u2019t desensitise.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n As well as acclimatising, getting the right kit can help hugely, too.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cTo swim open water you don\u2019t have to do it in skins,\u201d says Greg, \u201cand I think if you really are uncomfortable swimming in skins, then swim in your wetsuit. It\u2019s not a macho thing. Fundamentally, the most important thing is to enjoy it. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cYou can always start off in full wetsuit, balaclava, gloves<\/strong><\/a> and booties<\/strong><\/a> and, as you acclimatise, reduce the amount of kit you use!<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe first thing I\u2019d recommend is a neoprene cap<\/strong><\/a>, as a lot of heat is lost through the head, then adding a neoprene vest<\/strong><\/a> under your wetsuit can increase body temperature by 2\u00b0C,\u201d adds Greg. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cCrucially, your wetsuit must fit correctly<\/a><\/strong> and not allow water to flush through it. Gloves and booties are an interesting one, as once the feet and hands go numb then to some extent that\u2019s not a problem \u2013 it\u2019s afterwards as the blood starts to flow back into them that can be painful, so gloves and boots may help. Again, that\u2019s a very personal thing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p><\/div> <\/section> It\u2019s time to swim, but there are a couple of things you can do to help yourself cope first. Not getting into the water already cold is key, so we shed our warm layers at the last possible moment. <\/span><\/p>\n Greg also advises against cold-water swimming when you\u2019re sleep-deprived, run-down or recovering from tough training or illness, as your body will be less able to withstand the cold.<\/span><\/p>\n Once knee-deep, we splash ourselves with water, making sure we wet the face, neck and shoulders. Similar to big races such as Norseman where they spray you with cold water before you get into the swim, this helps you acclimatise and suppresses the dangerous cold-water shock response that can leave you gasping as you enter the water.<\/span><\/p>\n Once that\u2019s done, the trick then is to start steadily swimming immediately (no faffing!) as you\u2019ll then start to generate heat from the movement.<\/span><\/p>\n After a couple of hundred metres, we pause and Greg gives me some advice on technique. Seems when you enter cold water and start swimming, the temptation is to quicken and shorten your stroke as your body and brain go \u2018waaaaah!\u2019, whereas focusing on lengthening at the front of the stroke and extending your body while breathing in a more controlled way will help to calm and relax you, as well as preserving energy. <\/span><\/p>\n Secondly, a focus on lengthening also counteracts the body\u2019s natural response to cold, which is to curl into a foetal position to conserve warmth. Bending over at the hips like that will just lead to sinky legs<\/a><\/strong>!<\/span><\/p>\n The main thing when swimming in open water, though \u2013 and especially cold open water \u2013 is to stay safe. \u201cFirst and foremost respect the water \u2013 it\u2019s a dangerous environment,\u201d says Greg.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSubmersion in cold water is the leading cause of death in sport and, being 25 times more conductive than air, really strips heat from the body very quickly,\u201d he adds. \u201cForget the macho approach that we see from many athletes to \u2018push through\u2019. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cAlso never swim alone \u2013 you should always have someone with you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s about experience,\u201d says Greg. \u201cYou should progressively increase the period of time exposure. So don\u2019t think to yourself the first time out \u2018I\u2019m definitely going to hang<\/span> in for an hour and a half\u2019, because that\u2019s lunacy.<\/span><\/p>\n The first time, you swim for 10 minutes. And if everything\u2019s<\/span> fine, next time you can do 15 minutes and just gradually increase the exposure time. We\u2019re all different and so people will cope differently with temperatures.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n So how am I doing? \u201cI think you\u2019re coping well with the cold today,\u201d says Greg. \u201cIt\u2019s 15\u00b0C in the water today, which is pretty cold when you consider that swimming pools are around 28\u00b0C-plus and in them you\u2019re \u2018thermo-neutral\u2019, which means you\u2019re not really losing heat. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cBut this is September \u2013 and we\u2019ve got to get through the December and January swims when it gets really cold! Once it edges closer to 10\u00b0C and below, that\u2019s when you\u2019ll really start to feel it. But don\u2019t become overconfident, that\u2019s the key!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\nHow much does your physiology affect your ability to cope with the cold water?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
How can you prepare for winter open-water swimming?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
What kit do I need for cold-water swimming?<\/strong><\/h2>\n
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How to keep warm swimming in cold water<\/strong><\/h2>\n
How long should you can stay in cold water? <\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n
How should I warm up after cold-water swimming?<\/span><\/strong><\/h2>\n