How long is it safe to drag down lungfuls of cold air?

[kingrollo]

Is it causing you any problems though ?
I wear a buff over my mouth - especially at the start of rides - I wouldn't be able to keep it on stonking up a hill though.
Mucus production is a problem for me though - A beconase nasal spray helps - but doesn't cure it for me.
But if the cold isn't causing any problems I would go for it
+ 1 for keeping the water intake high.

 

[Tin Pot]

Okay, probably not the most useful description on my part. What I meant was, should I use something over the mouth?

You should in fact be breathing through your nose to inhale at least in the cold.

One of the functions of the nose is to warm the air as it goes to the lungs, this is missing if youre gulping in air.

Also try to breath deeply with your belly, not your chest, but that's just general breathing properly not related to air temp.

If the air temp really drops, a buff can be raised and lowered as you need it. Worst case I cover over the nose at the start, uncover the nose but keep the mouth covered if it's still bitter.

 

[Turdus philomelos]

What I'm more concerned about than cold air is dirty car fumes. Lately when I'm heaving up a brae a dirty, smelly vehicle passes and I've no choice but inhale the disgusting fumes. One was so bad it left a metallic taste.

 

[ufkacbln]

Okay, probably not the most useful description on my part. What I meant was, should I use something over the mouth?

Can exacerbate the situation

As you breathe, it gets damp and that makes it colder

 

[S-Express]

XC skiers and biathletes will be laughing their tits off at some of the comments here.

 

[PenttitheFinn]

In a related topic, I read somewhere you shouldn't shovel snow once you hit 50 years of age. The cold causes blood vessels to constrict just at the moment the heart starts to demand more flow, and you risk karking it as a result.

Thanks for that, I will mention it to my cousins who live in Finnish Lapland and haven't had a heart attack. Any advice for ice swimming or rolling in the snow after a sauna !!!

 

[Drago]

Approximately 100 people a year die of cardiac events in the US while shovelling snow, hence the 50 year old max age advice (or 55 from some pundits). Research has shown the activity is more strenuous than running on a treadmill but with the added hazard of blood vessel constriction due to the temperature, and lack of warm up period - I'm sure someone that unfit would also be in trouble on a treadmill, but I've yet to see anyone shovel treadmills in the Winter, so it's a moot comparison.

Finns may well be made of sterner stuff, but I'd be surprised if no Finn had ever died in that manner.

 

[PenttitheFinn]

Approximately 100 people a year die of cardiac events in the US while shovelling snow, hence the 50 year old max age advice (or 55 from some pundits). Research has shown the activity is more strenuous than running on a treadmill but with the added hazard of blood vessel constriction due to the temperature - I'm sure someone that unfit would also be in trouble on a treadmill, but I've yet to see anyone shovel treadmills in the Winter, so it's a moot comparison.

Finns may well be made of sterner stuff, but I'd be surprised if no Finn had ever died in that manner.

I am sure a Finn has died shovelling snow at sometime, but I would like to know what the average weight was of those that died shovelling snow in the USA. I think that might be the real reason ! All of my cousins in Finland are over 65 and if I told them not to shovel snow, they would spill their vodka laughing !!!

 

[Drago]

They'd laugh would they? I'm not sure they'd find it funny, seeing as shovelling show is one of the most common causes of heart attacks in Finland...

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-35484237

 

[S-Express]

Finns drop dead all the time as well you , and laughing doesn't stop it happening.

Sadly, the only certainty in life is that everyone will die at some point. However, I don't think XC skiers or Finns in particular, are at any greater risk due to the air temperature.

 

[ColinJ]

I hadn't had many problems with breathing cold air until I managed to fark my lungs with blood clots in summer 2012. My lungs objected big-time to the cold air in the winter that followed that; not very nice at all! I coped by breathing through a buff, and by slowing my walking down a bit. (I wasn't cycling at that time because I wasn't well enough to.)

As for dropping dead from the exertion of shovelling snow ... I have cycled in some very cold conditions and coped ok. I do agree that sudden exertion is not a great idea though, and it causes me great problems if I am foolish enough to do it now. It makes my heart rhythm go out of whack and that is scary enough to make me want to avoid it!

I read somewhere that even very fit athletes can show signs of significant cardiac distress if they launch in to violent exercise without a suitable warm-up.

 

[Drago]

Sadly, the only certainty in life is that everyone will die at some point. However, I don't think XC skiers or Finns in particular, are at any greater risk due to the air temperature.

"one of the most common causes of heart attacks in Finland..."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-35484237

 

[S-Express]

"one of the most common causes of heart attacks in Finland..."

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/blogs-news-from-elsewhere-35484237

Would like to see the actual study, if you have it. But by the looks of it, the problems are related to over-exertion, as opposed to any particular dangers of cold air, per se. Otherwise, the issue would not simply be related to Finns.

 

[ColinJ]

[QUOTE 4671104, member: 9609"]In what way do your lungs object when the air is really cold ? (or was that bit explained in what you said regarding heart rythm.)[/QUOTE]
No, the heart arrhythmia is a separate thing which happens even when it isn't cold. It can happen for no apparent reason, but I have found that it can be triggered if I try to do something very energetic now without a warm up. For example, if I walked out of the front door and then tried to sprint to the end of the road. It would probably also happen if I was out on my bike and tried to climb a steep hill too quickly. I have to go at a steady pace.

The lung problem was when they were still riddled with clots. That winter the lungs had become so delicate that breathing cold air felt like somebody was taking sandpaper to the linings of them while simultaneously stabbing them with cold needles!

 

[mjr]

Approximately 100 people a year die of cardiac events in the US while shovelling snow, hence the 50 year old max age advice (or 55 from some pundits)

I suspect whether the max age is stated as 50 or 55 depends on the age of the pundit and whether their partner who should go shovel the snow instead is under 55

Research has shown the activity is more strenuous than running on a treadmill but with the added hazard of blood vessel constriction due to the temperature, and lack of warm up period - I'm sure someone that unfit would also be in trouble on a treadmill, but I've yet to see anyone shovel treadmills in the Winter, so it's a moot comparison.

I think I knew someone who had a heart attack not long after a treadmill test but my memory could be misleading me and it's not a happy topic to ask surviving relatives.

I don't understand why the advice isn't to wrap up warm and limber up first, rather than to passively accept being snowed in and presumably just hope supplies don't run out before some younger friends help out?