Tolerance of Gaspé fishermen to cold water

¹ Department of Physiology, School of Medicine, Laval University, Quebec; Defence Research Board Arctic Medical Research Unit, Department of Physiology, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg; and Division of Applied Biology, National Research Council, Ottawa, Canada

A group of Gaspé fishermen used to cold water immersion and control subjects from the same vicinity were studied to determine if the fishermen's hands were adapted to cold. With one hand immersed in cold water, the pressor response was greater in the control subjects; the fishermen maintained a higher finger temperature and complained less of pain; heat flow from the fishermen's hands was greater than in the control group; finger numbness as measured by a modification of Mackworth's V-test was variable and not significantly different in the two groups. Skin biopsies showed no difference in skin thickness or cell size but there was a significantly greater number of mast cells in the fishermen's skin. The differences between the fishermen and the control subjects may be related to repeated cold exposure.

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