Swimmer

Abstract

Gordon Pugh gets ready for a swim, he dons his swimsuit, goggles and cap, just as any other open water swimming enthusiast might do. After that, however, the similarities end. If Pugh’s swim will be in extremely cold water—which has occurred on more than one occasion—then his next step before plunging into the icy brine is to raise his core body temperature by 2.5°F— up to more than 101°F. Tim Noakes, a University of Cape Town, South Africa, physiologist who monitors Pugh’s coldwater excursions, calls the process “anticipatory thermogenesis.” This is the swimmer’s ability to generate body heat simply by mentally preparing for his grueling freestyle swim. “As soon as I see the water, my temperature goes up,” says Pugh, a 37-year-old British lawyer who grew up in South Africa. “Before a swim, my body is like a furnace. It realizes I am cold and so turns on the burners.” Noakes describes anticipatory thermogenesis as a conditioned response Pugh has developed through a rigorous training program involving repeated exposures to water ranging from freezing to around 40°F. Although scientists are beginning Bill Edwards is managing editor of SWIMMER. W WITH POLAR BEARS SWIMMING