Journal of Applied Physiology, Vol 44, Issue 5 683-689, Copyright © 1978 by American Physiological Society
Alcohol and respiratory and body temperature changes during tepid water immersion
S. Martin and K. E. Cooper
Resting subjects were immersed for 30 min in water at 22 and 30 degrees C
after drinking alcohol. Total ventilation, end-tidal PCO2, rectal
temperature, aural temperature, mean skin temperature, heart rate, and
oxygen consumption were recorded during the experiments. Blood samples
taken before the immersion period were analyzed by gas-liquid
chromatography. The mean blood alcohol levels were 82.50 +/- 9.93 mg.(100
ml)-1 and 100.6 +/- 12.64 mg (100 ml)-1 for the immersions at 22 and 30
degrees C, respectively. There was no significant change in body
temperature measured aurally or rectally, mean surface skin temperature, or
heart rate at either water temperature tested. Total expired ventilation
was significantly attenuated for the last 15 min of the immersion at 22
degrees C, after alcohol consumption as compared to the ventilation change
in water at 22 degrees C without ethanol. This response was not
consistently significantly altered during immersion in water at 30 degrees
C. It is evident that during a 30-min immersion in tepid water with a high
blood alcohol level, body heat loss is not affected but some changes in
ventilation do occur.
