Low Body Fat and Cold Water

[sarvet]

Im curious as to whether or not your body fat percentage has any effect on the amount of time it takes your body to reach a hypothermic state. People with more fat on their body seem to have an easier time staying warm in cold weather, so wouldnt it also make sense that they would be more comfortable in cold water?

Ive read elsewhere in the forums that people who have been swimming for large parts of their lives tend to carry just a little extra body fat, even if they eat well and train their bodies regularly. It would make sense that over time (especially if they have been swimming in 'cold' water their entire lives) that their bodies would eventually adapt to the water by carrying a little extra fat for protection. When you think about it swimmers dont seem to be as defined (muscularly) as many other athletes, although you know they work hard to get in shape. I suppose this could be because some of them do not lift weights as often as other athletes in order to avoid excessive muscle weight and/or bone density, since these things probably would not make them swim faster.

The reason for my curiousity is due to the fact that I have never really been above 10 percent bodyfat, even if i havent trained for months. If im in a training environment it will fall to 6 or 7 percent without dieting. Im wondering if there are many BUD/S graduates with very low body fat percentages, and for that matter if there are many SEALS out there who keep very low body fat. It would make sense with all the time they spend in the cold water that their body would want to always keep a little extra fat.

Don't take anything I've stated here as fact, its all opinions and speculations based on educated guesses. If anyone has any opinions or thoughts on this issue feel free to reply.

[rsctt83]

"Don't take anything I've stated here as fact, its all opinions and speculations based on educated guesses. If anyone has any opinions or thoughts on this issue feel free to reply."

This is nicely done, it indentifies the source I wish others would do the same. As far as swimmers it is called functional strength, you are training to function in your sport optimally. A good example of this is Lance Armstrong, if you look at his body it is as if it is two different people. The lower portion is huge and the upper portion pretty much non-existent. Why? He is fully trained at functional level. He has no need for upper body muscle mass/strength and a huge need for massive amounts of strength in his legs. Since muscle doesn't float why would a competitive swimmer want unneeded muscle?

As far as heavier people adapting to cold I am not certain that I would subscribe to that theory. There is an enormous amount of material written on adapting to cold in the forums

[king henry viii]

"It would make sense with all the time they spend in the cold water that their body would want to always keep a little extra fat."


Isn't body fat percentage determined by metabolism, caloric intake, and caloric expenditure?

You make it sound as though the body "knows" that it's constantly in cold water and therefore makes a "decision" to just maintain a higher body fat percentage.

[AuIronman]

"Since muscle doesn't float why would a competitive swimmer want unneeded muscle?"-rsctt83
That is right on, swimmers usually don't want unneeded muscle(unless your a sprinter)because swimmers that have larger muscle mass get tired much faster when swimming long distances.

"When you think about it swimmers dont seem to be as defined (muscularly) as many other athletes"-sarvet
I am not quite sure i agree with that. All the swimmers i know that come to 7 or 9 workouts a week are extremely ripped. I am not trying to discredit you or anything, just pointing out what i have observed over the years.

As far as people with higher body fat and hypothermia, I don't really know. A month or so ago they did a show about SOF and how operators can perform under extreme conditions(can't remember the name of the show). Stew Smith was on the show and they put him in some very cold water to test his resistance to hypothermia. The sports scientists thought that he would only last 30 min because of his weight and body fat. Stew lasted for almost an hour, and the scientists were shocked. They came to the conclusion that after all the cold water he had been in, during his SEAL career, caused his body to adapt to cold water. I think this show came on either the history or discovery channel. I don't think that really answers your question but it might point you in the right direction.

[king henry viii]

Stew Smith was on the show and they put him in some very cold water to test his resistance to hypothermia. The sports scientists thought that he would only last 30 min because of his weight and body fat. Stew lasted for almost an hour, and the scientists were shocked. They came to the conclusion that after all the cold water he had been in, during his SEAL career, caused his body to adapt to cold water. I think this show came on either the history or discovery channel. I don't think that really answers your question but it might point you in the right direction.

It was National Geographic and his body didn't adapt. It was his mental strength that made him last that long. The mind controls the body. If you don't mind it doesn't matter. That type of thing. Time and again guys have coming on here saying your body does not adapt to the cold water. You just learn to deal with it.

[newtonbcn]

King Henry, that is pretty close to what the body does. In exercise lipids provide the longest lasting available energy source. You have thermo receptors in your skin that send nerves signals to your hypothalamus which regulates body temperature. Since the bodies 2 most used energy sources are lipids and glucose, when the thermo receptors in your skin sense you are cold, the hypothalamus sets a trigger to make the muscle contract and the body will shiver. Those muscle contractions require an energy source to shiver.

If a person consistently shivers and is in cold water all the time, the mind adapts to try and block out the shock associated with cold, and the body could very well store more fat knowing that fat helps insulate the body as well as provide a good energy source when you need it in exercise and many other functions. All of this differs from person to person though. I saw a female cold water swimmer, who swam for a record numbers of hours in the Artic, and she had a large amount of fat in her body, but she was in excellent shape. She had been swimming in cold water her whole life, and the cold that would usually kill someone else didn't seem to bother her very much.

[king henry viii]

I saw a female cold water swimmer, who swam for a record numbers of hours in the Artic, and she had a large amount of fat in her body, but she was in excellent shape. She had been swimming in cold water her whole life, and the cold that would usually kill someone else didn't seem to bother her very much.

Well fat does keep you warm. So there's why the cold didn't bother her very much.

I saw a dude swim the English Channel and he purposely put on about 20 lbs of fat beforehand for the added warmth and energy.

[king henry viii]

Here's a direct quote from that woman who swam in the arctic:

“It sort of just penetrates though your skin right away,” she tells Pelley about first jumping in, “and you’re immersed in it."

After an initial period of doubt about what she is doing, she says, she takes off like a shot. “I’m trying to get warm. It’s freezing, it’s really cold, you know?”

So I guess it DOES bother her. Doesn't it?

[AuIronman]

king henry
if stew's body didn't adapt, then how was his core temperature able to stay so high? I know someone's mental capacity has a lot to do with how long they can stay in cold water, but that still doesn't account for his high core temp

[rsctt83]

If you are interested in this topic than use the search function. This topic has been debated and discussed thoroughly including some very knowledgable BTDT guys one of which is an MD.

Every so often this topic comes up or topics about tricks to make running easier or pool tests. This is not an X-Box and there are no secret codes for endurance training.

If you believe that sticking yourself in an ice cold tub of water until you turn blue is going to help you than go for it. If you believe putting on 10 pounds of fat is going to help you stay warm go for it ......

[sarvet]

Yeah I guess what I really wanted to know was the range of body fat percentages for the majority of BUD/S graduates. Im sure there are always exceptions, but does anyone know if graduates typically fall between 4 - 8 % body fat or is it more like 9 - 14 %?

[overcome.101]

Sarvet, i am going to save you the trouble of getting less than peaceful responses by saying this: there are ALL types of body compositions that make it through Bud/s. There are people like Marcus Luttrell who are 6'5' 230lb huskys and there are those who are 5'5'' and savagely ripped (Instructer Reno)...bottom line.
On another note, i read somewhere about the girl who swam a mile in Antarctica had a larger amount of brown adipose tissue or brown fat thats primary purpose it to generate body heat. Google it and check it out...
Also, i have a buddy who was an avid swimmer for years. His body composition during his swim career was a smoother contorted muscle build with a thick fat like outer layer of skin. In other words he was built, but you could only tell he was "muscular" if he flexed. Hes since moved on to just weightlifting and he has just become disgustingly ripped, veiny, and whatnot.

[thatguy2695]

Your body heat is generated by all the processes your body has to do to keep you running as well as Physical activity. I am 8% body fat and cold water really does not bother me at all and I know people that are more than pleasantly plump that shiver almost violently at wind with a temp of 60F. It's a mixture of Body composition and testicular fortitude.