“Everybody talks about the weather, but nobody does anything about it.” – Mark Twain November 30, 1835 – April 21, 1910
Many of us believe that there is little we can do about weather conditions; I included. My situation has me moving from a rather cold to temperate climate to a rather hot and sticky one. So I set out in search of information on acclimation to extreme temperatures.
• Heat acclimatization identifies biological adaptations that lessen physical strain (e.g., heart rate and body temperature), improved comfort and protection of vital organs from heat injury. (U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) manual on heat acclimation, Pub.-July 2012)
• Heat acclimatization speaks directly concerning a certain environment, (e.g., a desert, jungle or the arctic.) Acclimatization to similar environments really improves comfort levels and ability to be active. (U.S. Army Training and Doctrine Command (TRADOC) manual on heat acclimation, Pub.-July 2012)
None of us can control snow, rain or wind, but we can train our bodies to adapt better, perform better and be less stressed. Humans can employ very similar techniques when acclimating to extreme environments, both hot and cold. Acclimation occurs in direct response to an ever changing environment. Acclimatization is the specific physiological changes which occur. Capillaries open wider to allow for more warm blood to enter in cold climates. Blood is redirected in heat to better more efficiently cool our bodies. Even psychological changes occur in this transition. We begin feeling less stressed by extreme temperatures and we begin emotionally feeling that “maybe it is not so hot/cold after all”. Our perceptions effect our levels of endurance greatly.
Why would we bother to acclimate other than for shear
