If you've read our blog about the Cold Water Research project, you'll know that not a great deal is known about the impact on the body after swimming in cold water. Here's what we do know...
"}},"slug":"how-to-deal-with-the-dreaded-after-drop","blogTags":"Performance","featuredPost":false,"author":{"name":"Simon Griffiths","slug":"simon-griffiths","facebookHandle":null,"twitterHandle":"https://twitter.com/simondgriffiths?lang=en","instagramHandle":null,"linkedInProfile":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/simon-griffiths-69b89/","stravaProfile":null,"bio":{"childMarkdownRemark":{"html":"Simon Griffiths is the founder and publisher of Outdoor Swimmer magazine - the world's only independent magazine dedicated to swimming outdoors.
\nSimon has vast experience in writing as has worked as a freelance writer and was previously the Managing Editor and Founder of H2Open Magazine.
\nSimon has a Bachelor's Degree in Physics from the University of Reading, a Master's Degree in Water Engineering from Cranfield University, and an MBA in Business Management and Administration from London Business School.
"}},"title":"Outdoor Swimmer founder and publisher","headshot":{"file":{"url":"//images.ctfassets.net/428xzyjdw7rf/6is1YX7dXnrNiwC21HAHr6/29839ddb3dc2fce18c6fdef81468a627/defaultHeadshotFemale.webp"}}},"scientificallyReviewed":null,"image":{"resize":{"src":"//images.ctfassets.net/428xzyjdw7rf/2bOtvw92i8RhfdX9IBsm93/219402ec112f0ef648a8b17e93f038e0/how_to_deal_with_the_dreaded_after-drop.jpg?w=1200&h=630&q=70&fit=fill","width":1200,"height":630}},"socialMediaImage":null,"body":{"childMarkdownRemark":{"excerpt":"We know from the fields of emergency medicine and rescue that your core body temperature continues to drop even after you get out of cold water. For about 30-4…","html":"We know from the fields of emergency medicine and rescue that your core body temperature continues to drop even after you get out of cold water.
\nFor about 30-45 minutes after you exit the water, your temperature continues to drop, before it starts to rise again to normal levels. This is known as the ‘after-drop’ effect.
\nOur friends at Outdoor Swimmer magazine have written a great little post with some advice on how best to deal with the after-drop if you're getting out of the water...
\nIf you've spent any time hanging around open water swimmers you may have heard the term 'after-drop'. If you’ve done any swimming in cool water, you may have experienced it. For the uninitiated, after-drop refers to the decline in your core body temperature after you have got out of the water.
\nWhen you swim in cool water the body cleverly tries to protect vital organs by reducing blood flow to the skin and limbs. Thus the core stays warm while the skin, arms and legs cool down. The process is known as peripheral vasoconstriction.
\nShortly after you exit the water, peripheral vasoconstriction ends. Cold blood from your limbs and skin returns to your core where it mixes with warmer blood thereby causing your deep body temperature to drop, even if you’re warmly dressed and move into a warm environment. This is why you often only start shivering 10 to 15 minutes after leaving the water.
\nIt’s a good theory, but can it really be true that your core temperature keeps falling for quite some time after finishing swimming?
\nI had the chance to find out when I took part in a study at the Extreme Environments Laboratory at Portsmouth University a few years back. For the experiment I had to swim in cool water (16 degrees and 18 degrees) for two hours while the researchers monitored (among other things) my deep body temperature.
\nAfter two hours at 18 degrees my body temperature had dropped by about half a degree. I towelled off, dressed, put on a coat and hat and drank a hot tea. I was then able to watch my temperature fall to just over 36 degrees before it stabilised and then started climbing back up. The same thing happened at 16 degrees but the effect was greater, the minimum temperature lower and the time taken to stabilise longer. After-drop is real. While your average body temperature may be increasing, your core will be cooling.
\n