Marcos Llorente, current Atlético de Madrid player, has gone viral again after revealing his latest technique: walking semi-naked at 0ºC first thing in the morning. The Spanish player has explained that this routine “raises melatonin” through “direct and indirect methods.”
Effects of cold on health
First of all, it must be noted that exposure to low temperatures, when done in a limited time and taking certain measures (mainly, wearing insulating clothing) to prevent our body from losing too much temperature, has no such serious and immediate effects for our health such as those whose temperatures may be too high; largely because we have various mechanisms that allow us to regulate our body temperature to a certain degree.
Even so, the truth is that low temperatures can have several different effects on our bodymany of them precisely caused by the fact that our body activates these thermoregulatory mechanisms. These include an increase in heart rate, a contraction of peripheral blood vessels, a movement of blood from the extremities into the body to keep organs warmer, and an increase in blood thickness.
While it is true that there are studies that have found that sleeping in a cool room (as opposed to a hot room) increases melatonin production and improves sleep, this refers to cool temperatures and it does not have to apply to brief and specific exposures to minimum temperatures.
When the body’s temperature drops below normal values (around 36 and a half degrees and 37), something that can happen if we expose ourselves to too intense cold for too long, especially if we do not wear insulating and dry clothing, we can suffer hypothermia, according to the prestigious Mayo Clinic of the United States.
Hypothermia, a serious complication
Hypothermia is a failure in the function of several organs as a result of a sudden and excessive drop in body temperature, caused for example by exposure to cold weather or immersion in cold water. If left unaddressed, it can lead to damage to the respiratory and cardiovascular systems and eventually death.
The symptoms of hypothermia include chills, slurred speech (slurred, babbling), slow, shallow breathing, weak pulse, lack of coordination, drowsiness, disorientation, memory loss, unconsciousness, and, in infants, skin red and cold.
It must be taken into account that two of the main risk factors for suffering hypothermia are heat irradiation per body surface unexposed (uncovered skin) and exposure to wind, which removes the thin layer of warm air that covers the body.
This condition is mainly addressed warming the affected personwhich in severe cases may include methods such as transfusion of warm fluids into the body, irrigation, or the use of humidified oxygen.
The cold and the colds
It is true that, contrary to popular belief, the cold in itself does not cause us to catch a cold or the flu: in both cases, it is a matter of infectious diseases and therefore we must come into contact with the pathogenic agent (normally viruses).
Of course, there is some evidence, without a very solid scientific consensus behindwho say that exposure to cold could decrease the activity of the immune system, facilitating the proliferation of viruses in our body.
Therefore, in general we have good reasons to be be careful when exposing ourselves to the cold. Whenever we go out in very low temperatures, we should avoid wearing wet hair or clothing and cover ourselves properly.
References
Mayo Clinic. Hypothermia. Consulted online at https://www.mayoclinic.org/es/diseases-conditions/hypothermia/symptoms-causes/syc-20352682 December 11, 2024
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