Perhaps we shouldn\u2019t be so surprised. Ever since our ancestors spread out from the tropical climates of Africa and Asia, humans have adapted to cooler climates.<\/p>
The normal temperature of the human body is 37\u00b0C, but on exposure to the cold your heart rate and metabolism rises.<\/p>
That\u2019s not all. Peripheral vasoconstriction decreases blood flow to the extremities to reduce heat loss, your breath quickens, oxygen floods to the brain, blood is channelled to your muscles, glucose is released and muscle activity \u2013 whether through shivering or the urge to exercise \u2013 increases.<\/p>
This burns extra energy, sharpens the mind and warms the body, which is why skiers and open-water swimmers report such exhilarating winter highs.<\/p>
White fat vs brown fat<\/h2>With blood flooding to their muscles in the cold, cross-country skiers burn impressive amounts of energy. – Henry Iddon<\/figcaption><\/figure>The cold also activates a mysterious substance called \u2018brown fat\u2019, found in the neck, shoulders, chest and back.<\/p>
Whereas normal \u2018white fat\u2019 stores energy from food, brown fat burns energy to produce heat. \u201cOne of the \u2018selling pitches\u2019 for brown fat is that it is \u2018the fat that makes you thin\u2019,\u201d explains Professor Mike Symonds of the University of Nottingham, whose research suggests brown fat could help prevent weight gain<\/a> and diabetes.<\/p>\u201cBrown fat has this unique molecule within its mitochondria called \u2018uncoupling protein\u2019. When activated by cold exposure, it can rapidly produce large amounts of heat. A gram of brown fat will produce 300 times more heat than a gram of any other tissue in the body when stimulated.\u201d<\/p>
Your inner furnace gets stoked surprisingly quickly. \u201cIf you put your hand into cold water, within five minutes you can see the temperature of the brown fat increasing,\u201d says Symonds.<\/p>
Brown fat burns glucose (sugars) and lipids (fats), which is why its activation could aid body composition and blood sugar levels.<\/p>![\"Male](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/01\/Cold-Case-05-GettyImages-1071375828.jpg\")
Open-water swimmers commonly experience post-exercise highs in winter. – Getty Images \/ simonkr<\/figcaption><\/figure>\u201cAnything that makes you cold will stimulate your brown fat, and that should be beneficial in keeping weight down, minimising fat deposition and improving glucose regulation.\u201d<\/p>
Anthropologist and journalist Scott Carney, author of What Doesn\u2019t Kill Us<\/em>, says the more you cycle in the cold<\/a>, the easier it becomes.<\/p>\u201cWe are the descendants of evolutionary winners, so in the past, when we were wearing fur skins and a snowstorm came, our bodies couldn\u2019t say, \u2018I\u2019ll get ready in a couple of weeks\u2019.<\/p>
“Your body immediately ramps up your metabolism to fight the cold, then builds up brown adipose tissue [brown fat] for longer-term thermogenic resilience. Over time, you\u2019ll expand the temperatures in which you\u2019re comfortable.\u201d <\/p>
Carney goes on to explain, \u201cThermogenic stress also encourages mental growth: if you ride in the cold, you will develop the emotional resilience to deal with other issues as well.\u201d<\/p>
Cold conundrum<\/h2>![\"Male](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/01\/Cold-Case-01.jpg\")
Exposure to cold temperatures brings many physiological benefits. – Robert Smith \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>To enjoy the physical and mental rewards of cold exposure, commit to more winter bike rides<\/a>, chilly walks and cold showers, and try wearing one less layer at home.<\/p>However, there is a catch: as soon as you start exercising in the cold \u2013 as opposed to just experiencing the cold \u2013 your body begins to warm up.<\/p>
That means you\u2019ll enjoy an improvement in your cycling performance, but also a reduction in the specific health benefits related to cold exposure.<\/p>
According to Professor Mike Tipton of the Extreme Environments Lab at the University of Portsmouth, cold exposure raises metabolism and activates brown fat for a bonus health boost, but the fat-burning effects of a winter bike ride will always be greater.<\/p>
\u201cYou shiver at five or six times your resting metabolic rate, but during exercise, the heat you produce is 20-25 times your resting metabolic rate. Shivering can coexist with exercise, but it disappears once you start exercising at an oxygen consumption over about 1-1.2 litres per minute \u2013 that\u2019s pretty light exercise \u2013 because your shivering is suppressed and muscle activity takes over.\u201d<\/p>
Don’t be afraid of the cold<\/h2>![\"Man](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2023\/03\/Merida-One-Forty-6000-corner-866b24a.jpg\")
Exposure to the cold will bring benefits such as burning extra calories. – Andy Lloyd \/ OurMedia<\/figcaption><\/figure>So what are cyclists to make of this cold conundrum? The message seems to be this: it\u2019s good to expose yourself to the cold, whether through cold showers or chilly walks, and don\u2019t be afraid of getting cold during sections of your winter bike ride, or when you\u2019re cleaning your bike<\/a> at the end.<\/p>Cold exposure will deliver a raft of benefits \u2013 from burning extra calories to boosting resilience \u2013 and trigger key adaptations that\u2019ll help you stay warm on your next bike ride. But during your winter ride itself, it\u2019s best to keep your body warm to maximise the rewards from your ride.<\/p>
The good news is that it\u2019s much easier to stay warm on winter rides than fair-weather riders assume. Professor Tipton says it\u2019s rare for cyclists to suffer serious cold-related issues, such as hypothermia.<\/p>
\u201cI did the Tour of Flanders once on a cold day with strong winds and driving rain. That combination was sufficient to overwhelm the heat production of a host of people. The problem was that they were getting slower.<\/p>
“That cooled their muscles and nerves, which meant they were less able to exercise and produce heat, so they got even slower \u2013 a descending spiral. But mostly, cyclists will still generate enough heat to stay warm.\u201d<\/p>
The key is to ride at a high enough intensity to keep warm. The magic number seems to be about 60 per cent of your VO2 max \u2013 a moderate intensity. Studies suggest a person can maintain a core temperature above 35\u00b0C for up to seven hours if their exercise intensity is greater than 60 per cent of their VO2 max<\/a>. <\/p>\u201cIt\u2019s all about heat balance,\u201d says Professor Tipton. \u201cProvided you\u2019re producing more heat than you\u2019re losing, you\u2019ll be fine. When you cycle, you can easily produce between one and two kilowatts of heat. As long as they\u2019re wearing decent clothing, people exercising in the cold don\u2019t suffer in terms of a fall in deep body temperature.\u201d<\/p>
Nevertheless, cyclists face unique challenges. \u201cBeware of the first 15-20 minutes when it\u2019s freezing cold and you start on the flat, because as soon as you get above 15km\/h you maximise your convective heat loss but you\u2019re not yet generating any heat,\u201d explains Professor Tipton.<\/p>
\u201cAlways make sure you warm up before you go out. Put your bike on a turbo: all that\u2019s needed is to raise the body temperature by about a third of a degree \u2013 hardly anything \u2013 and all of a sudden the blood will flow.\u201d<\/p>
Winter is the season when quality clothing, such as warm bib tights<\/a> and winter jackets<\/a>, is crucial. Mammals increase the insulation around their skin by storing fat and thickening their fur, and we do the same through clothing.<\/p>\u201cThe body has no idea what the environmental temperature is,\u201d says Professor Tipton. \u201cAll it knows is the temperature of the skin because it has sensors there, so we need to concentrate on that microclimate around the skin.\u201d<\/p>
Good layering, quality fabrics, effective ventilation to avoid sweat accumulation and snug seams to prevent the flushing of cold air beneath garments are all recommended.<\/p>
Waterproof clothing, including jackets<\/a> and gloves<\/a>, is essential on rainy days because the thermal conductivity of water is 25 times that of air. And always wear windproof clothing: in temperatures of 4\u00b0C, a 10mph wind will mean you experience the equivalent of -1\u00b0C, while in 20mph winds, you\u2019re effectively riding at -7\u00b0C. Arms are particularly susceptible, so arm warmers are a good thing to take with you.<\/p>Fear and clothing<\/h2>![\"Cyclist](\"https:\/\/c02.purpledshub.com\/uploads\/sites\/39\/2024\/01\/Cold-Case-02a.jpg\")
Good layering of quality fabrics is highly recommended. – Robert Smith \/ Our Media<\/figcaption><\/figure>Cyclists also suffer from cold extremities. \u201cWhen your body detects cold, it shuts down blood flow to the hands and feet,\u201d explains Professor Tipton.<\/p>
\u201cWearing gloves and booties reduces the heat loss, but the best thing is to ensure you exercise strongly enough to stop your core temperature falling.\u201d This is especially important because cold exposure reduces finger dexterity.<\/p>
\u201cI would be much more worried about bike control and my ability to brake than performance,\u201d adds Professor Tipton.<\/p>
There\u2019s little consensus over whether the cold impacts aerobic performance. One study suggested maximal heart rate reduces by 10-30bpm when deep body temperature is lowered by 0.5-2\u00b0C.<\/p>
But another paper found that time to exhaustion while cycling at 70 per cent VO2 max was 42 per cent longer in the cold versus a warmer environment.<\/p>
Cold resilience seems to be highly individual, dependent on height, weight, fitness and other factors.<\/p>
But Professor Tipton recommends staying warm: \u201cIf you get cold, exercise will feel harder because your muscles are less flexible. Everything points towards going out warm and staying warm. As far as the body is concerned, in that microclimate it doesn\u2019t even know you\u2019re cold.\u201d<\/p>
Physiologist and nutrition consultant Richard Tucker says you should also adapt your fuel sources over winter.<\/p>
\u201cDuring the winter, a cyclist may adopt a certain style of riding, so it may mean some cyclocross or mountain biking, but it will usually entail a slowing down in intensity or effort.\u201d<\/p>
This often leads riders to think they need less fuel, but Tucker says cold-induced thermogenesis (CIT) means your body burns more calories in a bid to keep warm.<\/p>
\u201cAn athlete performing a lower-intensity ride in the warmer months may be oxidising more fat than carbohydrates, yet in cooler months carbohydrates may be the dominant fuel source. So it\u2019s important to make sure that your carbohydrate stores are continuously topped up throughout your rides.\u201d<\/p>
The cold also activates a mysterious substance called \u2018brown fat\u2019, found in the neck, shoulders, chest and back.<\/p>
Whereas normal \u2018white fat\u2019 stores energy from food, brown fat burns energy to produce heat. \u201cOne of the \u2018selling pitches\u2019 for brown fat is that it is \u2018the fat that makes you thin\u2019,\u201d explains Professor Mike Symonds of the University of Nottingham, whose research suggests brown fat could help prevent weight gain<\/a> and diabetes.<\/p> \u201cBrown fat has this unique molecule within its mitochondria called \u2018uncoupling protein\u2019. When activated by cold exposure, it can rapidly produce large amounts of heat. A gram of brown fat will produce 300 times more heat than a gram of any other tissue in the body when stimulated.\u201d<\/p> Your inner furnace gets stoked surprisingly quickly. \u201cIf you put your hand into cold water, within five minutes you can see the temperature of the brown fat increasing,\u201d says Symonds.<\/p> Brown fat burns glucose (sugars) and lipids (fats), which is why its activation could aid body composition and blood sugar levels.<\/p> \u201cAnything that makes you cold will stimulate your brown fat, and that should be beneficial in keeping weight down, minimising fat deposition and improving glucose regulation.\u201d<\/p> Anthropologist and journalist Scott Carney, author of What Doesn\u2019t Kill Us<\/em>, says the more you cycle in the cold<\/a>, the easier it becomes.<\/p> \u201cWe are the descendants of evolutionary winners, so in the past, when we were wearing fur skins and a snowstorm came, our bodies couldn\u2019t say, \u2018I\u2019ll get ready in a couple of weeks\u2019.<\/p> “Your body immediately ramps up your metabolism to fight the cold, then builds up brown adipose tissue [brown fat] for longer-term thermogenic resilience. Over time, you\u2019ll expand the temperatures in which you\u2019re comfortable.\u201d <\/p> Carney goes on to explain, \u201cThermogenic stress also encourages mental growth: if you ride in the cold, you will develop the emotional resilience to deal with other issues as well.\u201d<\/p> To enjoy the physical and mental rewards of cold exposure, commit to more winter bike rides<\/a>, chilly walks and cold showers, and try wearing one less layer at home.<\/p> However, there is a catch: as soon as you start exercising in the cold \u2013 as opposed to just experiencing the cold \u2013 your body begins to warm up.<\/p> That means you\u2019ll enjoy an improvement in your cycling performance, but also a reduction in the specific health benefits related to cold exposure.<\/p> According to Professor Mike Tipton of the Extreme Environments Lab at the University of Portsmouth, cold exposure raises metabolism and activates brown fat for a bonus health boost, but the fat-burning effects of a winter bike ride will always be greater.<\/p> \u201cYou shiver at five or six times your resting metabolic rate, but during exercise, the heat you produce is 20-25 times your resting metabolic rate. Shivering can coexist with exercise, but it disappears once you start exercising at an oxygen consumption over about 1-1.2 litres per minute \u2013 that\u2019s pretty light exercise \u2013 because your shivering is suppressed and muscle activity takes over.\u201d<\/p> So what are cyclists to make of this cold conundrum? The message seems to be this: it\u2019s good to expose yourself to the cold, whether through cold showers or chilly walks, and don\u2019t be afraid of getting cold during sections of your winter bike ride, or when you\u2019re cleaning your bike<\/a> at the end.<\/p> Cold exposure will deliver a raft of benefits \u2013 from burning extra calories to boosting resilience \u2013 and trigger key adaptations that\u2019ll help you stay warm on your next bike ride. But during your winter ride itself, it\u2019s best to keep your body warm to maximise the rewards from your ride.<\/p> The good news is that it\u2019s much easier to stay warm on winter rides than fair-weather riders assume. Professor Tipton says it\u2019s rare for cyclists to suffer serious cold-related issues, such as hypothermia.<\/p> \u201cI did the Tour of Flanders once on a cold day with strong winds and driving rain. That combination was sufficient to overwhelm the heat production of a host of people. The problem was that they were getting slower.<\/p> “That cooled their muscles and nerves, which meant they were less able to exercise and produce heat, so they got even slower \u2013 a descending spiral. But mostly, cyclists will still generate enough heat to stay warm.\u201d<\/p> The key is to ride at a high enough intensity to keep warm. The magic number seems to be about 60 per cent of your VO2 max \u2013 a moderate intensity. Studies suggest a person can maintain a core temperature above 35\u00b0C for up to seven hours if their exercise intensity is greater than 60 per cent of their VO2 max<\/a>. <\/p> \u201cIt\u2019s all about heat balance,\u201d says Professor Tipton. \u201cProvided you\u2019re producing more heat than you\u2019re losing, you\u2019ll be fine. When you cycle, you can easily produce between one and two kilowatts of heat. As long as they\u2019re wearing decent clothing, people exercising in the cold don\u2019t suffer in terms of a fall in deep body temperature.\u201d<\/p> Nevertheless, cyclists face unique challenges. \u201cBeware of the first 15-20 minutes when it\u2019s freezing cold and you start on the flat, because as soon as you get above 15km\/h you maximise your convective heat loss but you\u2019re not yet generating any heat,\u201d explains Professor Tipton.<\/p> \u201cAlways make sure you warm up before you go out. Put your bike on a turbo: all that\u2019s needed is to raise the body temperature by about a third of a degree \u2013 hardly anything \u2013 and all of a sudden the blood will flow.\u201d<\/p> Winter is the season when quality clothing, such as warm bib tights<\/a> and winter jackets<\/a>, is crucial. Mammals increase the insulation around their skin by storing fat and thickening their fur, and we do the same through clothing.<\/p> \u201cThe body has no idea what the environmental temperature is,\u201d says Professor Tipton. \u201cAll it knows is the temperature of the skin because it has sensors there, so we need to concentrate on that microclimate around the skin.\u201d<\/p> Good layering, quality fabrics, effective ventilation to avoid sweat accumulation and snug seams to prevent the flushing of cold air beneath garments are all recommended.<\/p> Waterproof clothing, including jackets<\/a> and gloves<\/a>, is essential on rainy days because the thermal conductivity of water is 25 times that of air. And always wear windproof clothing: in temperatures of 4\u00b0C, a 10mph wind will mean you experience the equivalent of -1\u00b0C, while in 20mph winds, you\u2019re effectively riding at -7\u00b0C. Arms are particularly susceptible, so arm warmers are a good thing to take with you.<\/p> Cyclists also suffer from cold extremities. \u201cWhen your body detects cold, it shuts down blood flow to the hands and feet,\u201d explains Professor Tipton.<\/p> \u201cWearing gloves and booties reduces the heat loss, but the best thing is to ensure you exercise strongly enough to stop your core temperature falling.\u201d This is especially important because cold exposure reduces finger dexterity.<\/p> \u201cI would be much more worried about bike control and my ability to brake than performance,\u201d adds Professor Tipton.<\/p> There\u2019s little consensus over whether the cold impacts aerobic performance. One study suggested maximal heart rate reduces by 10-30bpm when deep body temperature is lowered by 0.5-2\u00b0C.<\/p> But another paper found that time to exhaustion while cycling at 70 per cent VO2 max was 42 per cent longer in the cold versus a warmer environment.<\/p> Cold resilience seems to be highly individual, dependent on height, weight, fitness and other factors.<\/p> But Professor Tipton recommends staying warm: \u201cIf you get cold, exercise will feel harder because your muscles are less flexible. Everything points towards going out warm and staying warm. As far as the body is concerned, in that microclimate it doesn\u2019t even know you\u2019re cold.\u201d<\/p> Physiologist and nutrition consultant Richard Tucker says you should also adapt your fuel sources over winter.<\/p> \u201cDuring the winter, a cyclist may adopt a certain style of riding, so it may mean some cyclocross or mountain biking, but it will usually entail a slowing down in intensity or effort.\u201d<\/p> This often leads riders to think they need less fuel, but Tucker says cold-induced thermogenesis (CIT) means your body burns more calories in a bid to keep warm.<\/p> \u201cAn athlete performing a lower-intensity ride in the warmer months may be oxidising more fat than carbohydrates, yet in cooler months carbohydrates may be the dominant fuel source. So it\u2019s important to make sure that your carbohydrate stores are continuously topped up throughout your rides.\u201d<\/p>Cold conundrum<\/h2>
Don’t be afraid of the cold<\/h2>
Fear and clothing<\/h2>