| 2005.Jan.22 |
THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS BAD WEATHER … ONLY BAD
CLOTHING - Norwegian Proverb |
|
This article was originally published during
the 3rd Annual Lake Simcoe Wind Sports
Festival and handed out in the goodie bag. |
| For many people new to winter sports,
they think it’s going to be cold. As far as winter
kiting the energy you burn is more than enough to
keep you warm but there are still a few things you
need to know to help maintain your comfort. This
article is based on excerpts from papers on winter
sports. |
Sometimes known as Professor Popsicle,
Dr. Gordon G. Giesbrecht a leading expert in the
field of winter sport, at the Health Leisure and
Human Performance Research Institute, University of
Manitoba, Winnipeg, Canada, has a few suggestions
for keeping warm this winter. They involve an
understanding of the following four topics:
- Stretching
- Moisture Prevention
- Hydration
- Replenished Energy
|
Stretching
Stretching is even more important in the cold as
you’re more likely to slip or twist your limbs.
Special emphasis should be considered before
starting out for your day. |
Moisture Prevention
All efforts should be made to prevent accumulation
of water either on the body or within clothing.
Moisture accumulation should be minimized in
clothing with attention to the following:
- Layered clothes that provide insulation
- Moisture that remains within the
material can decrease thermal insulation by
as much as 30-50% because conductive heat
loss is increased through wet clothing
- Resistance to water
- Wind resistance
Just prior to exercise, clothing should be
reduced to what will be needed during the exercise
bout. Thus, the athlete may feel cool during the
first part of exercise but sweat accumulation will
be minimized. When a rest stop is taken, extra
clothing should be added to prevent chilling. |
| High collar that zips up to the end of
the collar, thus providing a ‘high turtleneck’
effect. This provides great comfort as the neck is
especially sensitive to cold air currents. |
| An insulated hood and 2-3” tabs on
your zippers so you can operate them with your mitts
on. |
The preferred jacket and pant are a
one piece or overlapping jacket to cover your seat
and big design pant.
3 places for ventilation:
- Sleeve end
- Pit zips
- Front zipper (avoid solid front pullovers)
As you probably already know, layer layer, layer!
- Inner-wicking material, usually polyester
- Middle-insulating fleece, pile, wool, or
thick polyester
- Outer-ventilating, moisture and wind
protection fabrics such as Gortex, 60/40 cloth,
cordura, windstopper, or nylon
On your journey to the location, adjust your
layers on route so as to not build up moisture
before your event has started. Know what and how
you’re body reacts to the changes and be proactive
in adjusting your layers. You might feel cold
initially if you remove a layer but you’ll warm up
once you’re moving. The key to staying comfortable
in the cold is to OPERATE WITH A COOL SKIN SURFACE.
Cooler skin temperature results in less sweat
production. The net result is less moisture in your
clothing. It doesn’t stop here. When you’re done for
the day, be sure to dry all your clothing. |
Hydration
A conscious effort must be made to hydrate more than
during warm weather exercise (i.e., up to 2- 6
litres/day) because the thirst mechanism kicks in
only after dehydration has started. |
Replenished Energy
Energy stores should be replenished by ingesting
complex carbohydrates and fats (i.e., nuts) at
regular intervals of 15-60 minutes to support
continuous activity in the cold. |
If you’d like to read his entire
article, check:
www.umanitoba.ca/faculties/physed/research/people/giesbrecht.shtml
and scroll to almost the bottom and you’ll see some
Seminars and Lectures (off campus). |
|
Grant Fitz |
