Abstract

Swimming is the most popular participation sport in the UK with open water swimming seeing a rise in popularity over the last decade. However, cold water immersion is not without significant risks. Drowning represents the third leading cause of accidental death worldwide and in those aged 1 to 14 years it represents the leading cause of accidental death in some countries. Given the physical, physiological and psychological differences between adults and children, the latter are considered particularly at risk of cold-related illness and hypothermia. The ‘cold shock’ response on initial immersion, and the insidious onset of hypothermia and swim failure that accompanies prolonged exposure and swimming, are recognised to be potentially fatal. This has been well documented in adults, and whilst it is assumed that similar responses occur in children there is little quantitative evidence of this to date. Furthermore, adults show an habituation of their ‘cold shock’ response and change in their cooling rates following repeated exposure to cold water, however there are no data that show similar changes in children.  This study examined the physiological and subjective responses of children to cold water on initial immersion and on prolonged immersion whilst swimming, and assessed for any adaptation in these responses following a year of repeated swim training in cold water. It was hypothesised that: children would demonstrate a ‘cold shock’ response on initial immersion that would habituate following a period of acclimatisation; children would demonstrate faster cooling rates than those seen in adults whilst swimming in cold water, and their rate of cooling would adapt over a year of cold water swim training.

Additional Notes

Supervisors:  Professor Mike Tipton and Dr Jim House

Course: Master of Philosophy - MPhil

Date Deposited: 2017-05-08

URI/permalink: https://library.port.ac.uk/dissert/dis12865.html