title: Trainability of cold induced vasodilatation in fingers and toes.
abstract: Subjects that repeatedly have to expose the extremities to cold may benefit from a high peripheral temperature to maintain dexterity and tissue integrity. Therefore, we investigated if repeated immersions of a hand and a foot in cold water resulted in increased skin temperatures. Nine male and seven female subjects (mean 20.4; SD 2.2 years) immersed their right (trained) hand and foot simultaneously in 8°C water, 30 min daily for 15 days. During the pre and post-test (days 1 and 15, respectively) the left (untrained) hand and foot were immersed as well. Pain, tactile sensitivity and skin temperatures were measured every day. Mean (SD) toe temperature of the trained foot increased from 9.49°C (0.89) to 10.03°C (1.38) (p < 0.05). The trained hand, however, showed a drop in mean finger temperature from 9.28°C (0.54) to 8.91°C (0.44) (p < 0.001) and the number of cold induced vasodilation (CIVD) reactions decreased from 52% during the first test to 24% during the last test. No significant differences occurred in the untrained extremities. Pain diminished over time and tactile sensitivity decreased with skin temperature. The combination of less CIVD responses in the fingers after training, reduced finger skin temperatures in subjects that did show CIVD and the reduced pain and tactile sensitivity over time may lead to an increased risk for finger cold injuries. It is concluded that repeated cold exposure of the fingers does not lead to favorable adaptations, but may instead increase the injury risk.
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Performance, TNO, PO Box 23, 3769 ZG, Soesterberg, The Netherlands. hein.daanen@tno.nl
authors.forename: Hein A M
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Daanen
authors.forename: Jens
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Koedam
authors.forename: Stephen S
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Cheung
mesh_terms: D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D005260:Female; D005385:Fingers / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced / Q000379:methods*; D007101:Immersion; D008297:Male; D012881:Skin Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D014034:Toes / Q000502:physiology*; D014664:Vasodilation / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
references.citation: Eur J Appl Physiol. 2001 Aug;85(3-4):264-71
references.pmid: 11560080
references.citation: J Appl Physiol. 1962 Mar;17:317-22
references.pmid: 13859354
references.citation: Eur J Appl Physiol. 2003 Jun;89(5):411-26
references.pmid: 12712346
references.citation: J Physiol. 1957 Apr 3;136(1):98-111
references.pmid: 13417135
references.citation: J Appl Physiol. 1976 Mar;40(3):455-7
references.pmid: 931863
references.citation: Eur J Appl Physiol. 2007 Apr;99(6):701-5
references.pmid: 17219169
references.citation: Sens Processes. 1979 Dec;3(4):327-33
references.pmid: 262784
references.citation: J Appl Physiol. 1960 Jul;15:654-8
references.pmid: 14412101
references.citation: J Appl Physiol. 1962 May;17:444-8
references.pmid: 14478882
references.citation: Eur J Appl Physiol. 2005 Mar;93(5-6):524-9
references.pmid: 15605281
references.citation: Eur J Appl Physiol. 2008 Sep;104(2):193-9
references.pmid: 18408950
references.citation: J Hand Surg Am. 1987 Jan;12(1):155-61
references.pmid: 3805636
references.citation: J Appl Physiol. 1962 May;17:449-55
references.pmid: 14474063
references.citation: Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2006 Dec;31(6):717-25
references.pmid: 17213886
references.citation: Jpn J Physiol. 1992;42(6):877-89
references.pmid: 1297856
references.citation: J Appl Physiol. 1970 Nov;29(5):658-64
references.pmid: 5474858
references.citation: Ind Health. 2000 Jan;38(1):79-86
references.pmid: 10680314
references.citation: Aviat Space Environ Med. 2005 Dec;76(12):1119-22
references.pmid: 16370261
references.citation: J Appl Physiol (1985). 2005 Apr;98(4):1334-40
references.pmid: 15579576
references.citation: Eur J Appl Physiol. 2007 Dec;102(1):73-8
references.pmid: 17891413
references.citation: Aviat Space Environ Med. 2008 Oct;79(10):941-6
references.pmid: 18856183
references.citation: Appl Physiol Nutr Metab. 2006 Apr;31(2):110-7
references.pmid: 16604128
references.citation: Somatosens Mot Res. 1997;14(3):181-8
references.pmid: 9402648
references.citation: Acta Physiol Scand. 2005 Jan;183(1):117-24
references.pmid: 15654925
references.citation: Ind Health. 2009 Jul;47(3):262-70
references.pmid: 19531912
references.citation: Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1996;73(3-4):237-44
references.pmid: 8781852