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
StretchingStretching
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 PreventionAll 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.
[BB]
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 endPit zipsFront zipper (avoid solid front pullovers)
As you probably already know, layer layer, layer!
Inner-wicking material, usually polyesterMiddle-insulating fleece,
pile, wool, or thick polyesterOuter-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.
HydrationA
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 EnergyEnergy 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).
Tags:
exercise Sports weather winter 
