Metabolic and thermal response to a moderate cold exposure in nomadic Lapps

¹ Institute of Aviation Medicine, Royal Norwegian Air Force; Medical Corps, Royal Norwegian Navy, Oslo, Norway; Institute of Aviation Medicine, Royal Air Force, Farnborough, England; Research Institute of National Defence, Stockholm, Sweden; and Medical Research Council Laboratories, Holly Hill, Hampstead, London, England

A field investigation was conducted at Kautokeino in Finnmark to study the tolerance of the Lapps to cold. Their metabolism and skin and rectal temperatures were determined while they rested and slept naked for a night in a single-blanket sleeping-bag, exposed to a moderate cold stress. As compared with unacclimatized white men they showed a greater ability to endure the cold night. In general the Lapps slept well without visible shivering, whereas the controls were prevented from sleeping by the sensations of cold and vigorous shivering. The metabolic rates of the Lapps were close to their basal level, in contrast to the raised metabolism of the unacclimatized control subjects. Some of the Lapps maintained slightly higher peripheral skin temperatures than the control subjects, but had a much greater fall in their rectal temperatures, indicating a greater loss of stored body heat.

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