ABSTRACT
Human adaptation to the cold environment is mostly the concern of people who work or participate in sporting activities in such an environment. Our body temperature can be maintained in several ways to guarantee its optimum performance even in a cold environment. Good equipment is one of the best tools to protect our body from the cold environment. However, the use of heavy equipment sometimes diminishes human performance in exercise and sports. This chapter presents an experiment in cold environment. It also compares the heat insulation and physical performance provided by the winter outfit utilized in the Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition (JARE) and the outfit of the Greenland Eskimos. The comparison is performed through a special chamber with a temperature of − 40 °C. The adaptation of the peripheral parts of the body, such as the hand and fingers, to the cold weather is also discussed. The JARE outfit is suitable for physical activities, but its gloves require some improvements in heat insulation to cope with the severe cold. The experimental results and reports relating to cold adaptation are also provided. It is suggested that the clothing in cold environment should be chosen based on the demand of each individual’s requirements and that standard clothing ensembles not be mandated for entire groups (Castellani et al., 2006).
