EntranceWhat is the temperature of the water in winter in the hole. The whole truth about winter swimming: is swimming in ice water good or bad? The temperature of the water in the hole
Winter swimming in open waters, called winter swimming in our country, is an officially recognized sport and one of the most extreme ways to harden the body. This method has a long history and adherents in many countries. International competitions in winter open water swimming are held annually, and every two years - the World Championship. Despite its huge popularity and proven health benefits, winter swimming is still surrounded by tenacious misconceptions. We will try to dispel the most common of them in this article.
Source: depositphotos.com
While swimming at the walrus, the temperature of the internal organs rises sharply
When immersed in cold water, the body loses heat, bathers do not experience any sensation of internal heat. From this, however, it does not follow that the “walrus” is cold to swim. On the contrary, during winter bathing, a person plunges into water, which is much warmer than frosty air (in the hole, the water has a temperature of 0 to +4 ° C). The procedure provokes the strongest release of adrenaline and glucose into the blood, helps to mobilize the hidden reserves of the body, but no overheating of the internal organs occurs.
Winter swimming is only possible
This is not true. Winter swimming requires a cold reservoir, in a significant part of the territory of our country such conditions persist from autumn to spring, and even all year round - in places where there are underground sources with ice water or mountain rivers flowing from glaciers.
Winter swimming is available to everyone without training
A dangerous delusion that can lead to the saddest consequences. Firstly, winter swimming has a number of medical contraindications. Among them are chronic pathologies of the cardiovascular system and respiratory organs, gynecological problems, damage to the kidneys and urinary tract, severe hypertension, and some types of allergies. Secondly, even a relatively healthy person should not jump into the hole without preparation. The body must be accustomed to low temperatures gradually. It is usually recommended to start with dousing with cold water, immersing in a bath or indoor pool, and rubbing with snow. The first bathing in open water should not last more than a few seconds, with the obligatory subsequent transition to a warm room, rubbing the body and changing into dry clothes. With the right approach to hardening, bathing is carried out regularly, with a gradual increase in the duration of the procedures and strict control of well-being.
Winter swimming can cure a cold
Contrary to popular belief, walruses sometimes catch colds, although much less often than non-hardening people. However, immersion in cold water in case of malaise (with fever or catarrhal symptoms) is unacceptable. Winter swimming is not a therapeutic procedure, it is only a method of preventing colds and strengthening the immune system.
Walruses get addicted to cold water
There is some truth in this statement: people who regularly go in for winter swimming get used to the procedures and feel some discomfort when they have to give up diving. This condition is very similar to the constant craving for dangerous activities in extreme athletes. Indeed, it turns out something like an addiction, but not from cold water, but from hormonal surges that occur during bathing. If a person ceases to control such sensations and begins to carry out procedures too often, he can harm his health.
Experienced walruses say that the best option is to bathe twice a week.
All walruses are overweight
But this is completely untrue. Winter swimming has a beneficial effect on metabolism and helps to normalize body weight. It has been proven that overweight walruses gradually lose weight as a result of regular exercise, while those who are too thin gain the missing weight.
Diving into the hole with your head is deadly
When immersed in cold water, a sharp vasospasm occurs, which can cause loss of consciousness. Therefore, diving with your head is really undesirable. Experienced "walruses", whose body is already accustomed to temperature changes, rarely do this, depending on the degree of hardening. It is better for a beginner to swim in a rubber cap and not lower his head into the water. For the same reason, it is not recommended to dive alone: there should be people nearby who can provide assistance in an emergency.
"Walruses" take alcohol before and after swimming
Drinking alcohol before diving is strictly prohibited. Its effect on the vessels can be combined with the effect of cold, and the consequences are unpredictable. In addition, a drunk person loses the ability to objectively assess the surrounding reality and begins to behave too self-confidently. Diving in this state is fraught with hypothermia of the body and even death.
As for drinking after bathing, people who are serious winter swimmers claim that alcohol does not help to warm up. Conversely, drinking any cold drinks after a dive can lead to hypothermia. But, after getting out of the water and changing clothes, it is useful to drink a glass of sweet warm tea to compensate for the energy spent by the body.
Winter swimming is a short immersion in ice water or swimming in it for short distances, this activity is a kind of winter swimming. During winter swimming, the body quickly loses a lot of heat.
This activity is popular, as it allows you to strengthen the immune system, improve blood circulation and thermoregulation of the body. Walruses are often viewed as oddballs, and winter swimming is generally accompanied by a lot of myths.
Interestingly, many myths are often mutually exclusive. Consider the main legends about this unusual but useful activity.
Walruses never catch a cold. This is not true, walruses are also prone to colds, although much less often than ordinary people.
Winter swimming helps to develop muscles and improve the figure. Walruses do not have to be pumped up and fit. After all, this activity improves the functioning of many body systems, but it does not affect the amount of muscle mass. To increase it, it is necessary to engage in motor or strength exercises along with winter swimming.
Before and after winter swimming, it is necessary to drink strong alcoholic beverages. This rule does not apply to real walruses, which do not drink before winter swimming, as this leads to a violation of the body's natural thermoregulation, which leads to negative consequences. Some people immediately after dipping into ice water use strong drinks “to warm up”, but this has nothing to do with true warming, this is their own business. By the way, it is highly recommended not to drink cold drinks at all, because it will cool the airways even more.
When swimming, be sure to dive into the water with your head. Or vice versa, another myth says that in no case should you dive into the water with your head. If you have just started winter swimming, it is still not recommended to dip your head into the water. But experienced walruses, in accordance with the degree of their hardening, can already dive headlong.
Before entering the ice water, you need to take a steam bath in a hot bath. Or the other extreme - before entering the water you need to undress and cool down a bit. It is recommended to do exercises before winter swimming, albeit a small one, which will warm you up, run, squat. A hot bath is not required. But it is strictly not recommended to cool off before swimming in the hole!
Winter swimming is allowed only in places where there is a warm room next to the ice hole so that you can change clothes or a bathhouse. If the frosts are not strong, and the wind is weak, then it is quite possible to change clothes in the open air. A warm room next to the ice hole will be needed for winter swimming in severe frosts.
In Siberia, it is impossible to engage in winter swimming, as there are severe frosts. In Siberia, the possibilities of winter swimming are more difficult than in the center of the country, since it is difficult to keep the hole open. However, this is not an obstacle for experienced walruses - the experience of walruses from the Urals, Altai and Krasnoyarsk testifies.
Before starting winter swimming, you need to prepare the body - take a hardening course, taking a cold shower. It turns out that the effect of a cold shower can be even more powerful than ice water. This is due to the fact that under the shower a person is motionless, there is no internal heating. Also, the body does not have time to heat the cold water around it, as it immediately leaves, being replaced by another portion. Thus, the cooling is more intense. Therefore, you should not undergo any special training, you can start swimming in the hole immediately, first limiting the time spent in the water, and for the first experiments choosing the weather with a thaw and a light wind.
Winter swimming has no contraindications. There are a number of diseases, the owners of which are not recommended to plunge into a cold hole. First of all, this applies to diseases of the cardiovascular system, broncho-pulmonary diseases, diseases of the thyroid gland, and the genitourinary system. Doctors note that winter swimming can become dangerous even for healthy people due to vasospasm, seizures, excessive heat loss of the body. Winter swimming can cause excitement, which will muffle reasonable caution. Therefore, if you experience ailments and discomfort, it is better to stop exercising and consult a doctor.
Real winter swimming is swimming in an ice-hole in winter. In terms of the effect of cold, water with a temperature of 4-8 ° C is similar to the effect of ice water, so winter swimming can be practiced from autumn to spring inclusive, even in those regions where there are no freezing water bodies at all - we are talking, for example, about the Black Sea, the south of the Baltic, North Sea and so on. And if there are reservoirs with cold spring water nearby, winter swimming is possible even in summer!
In the hole, water is always with a temperature above zero, usually + 4 ° C. Indeed, water has its highest density precisely at 4°C. In frozen reservoirs, such water, relatively warm, sinks to the bottom, and on the surface there are colder layers, with a temperature of about 0 ° C. This is where the walruses dive. In the process of preparing the ice hole, the layers can be mixed, which can increase the temperature on the surface layer by 1-2°C. But sea water can be cooled down to -2°C.
Winter swimming is a primordially Russian occupation, there is no such thing abroad. Walrus clubs are scattered all over the world, they are in Belgium and Finland, Canada, the USA and China.
Walruses are spontaneous and disorganized people. This is not true, in Russia, for example, there is a whole Federation of hardening and sports swimming, which promotes this activity, unites people. On numerous winter swimming sites you can meet experienced people and get valuable advice.
Russian folk tradition - to swim in the hole in the Epiphany, January 19, attracts more and more people. This year, 19 ice-holes called “baptismal font” or “Jordan” were organized in St. Petersburg. The ice holes were well equipped with wooden bridges, lifeguards were on duty everywhere. And it is interesting that, as a rule, bathing people told reporters that they were very happy, the water was warm. I myself did not swim in winter, but I know that the water in the Neva was indeed + 4 + 5 ° C, according to measurements, which is much warmer than the air temperature - 8 ° C.
The fact that the water temperature under the ice at a depth in lakes and rivers above zero by 4 degrees is known to many, but, as discussions in some forums show, not everyone understands the reason for this phenomenon. Sometimes the increase in temperature is associated with the pressure of a thick layer of ice over water and a change in the freezing point of water in connection with this. But most people who successfully studied physics at school will confidently say that the temperature of water at depth is associated with a well-known physical phenomenon - a change in the density of water with temperature. At a temperature of +4°C, fresh water acquires its highest density.
At temperatures around 0°C, water becomes less dense and lighter. Therefore, when the water in the reservoir is cooled to +4 ° C, the convection mixing of water stops, its further cooling occurs only due to thermal conductivity (and it is not very high in water) and the processes of water cooling slow down sharply. Even in severe frosts, in a deep river under a thick layer of ice and a layer of cold water, there will always be water with a temperature of +4 °C. Only small ponds and lakes freeze to the bottom.
We decided to figure out why water behaves so strangely when cooled. It turned out that an exhaustive explanation of this phenomenon has not yet been found. The existing hypotheses have not yet found experimental confirmation. It must be said that water is not the only substance that has the property of expanding when cooled. Similar behavior is also characteristic of bismuth, gallium, silicon, and antimony. However, it is water that is of the greatest interest, since it is a substance that is very important for human life and the entire flora and fauna.
One of the theories is the existence of two types of high and low density nanostructures in water, which change with temperature and generate an anomalous change in density. Scientists studying the processes of supercooling of melts put forward the following explanation. When the liquid is cooled below the melting point, the internal energy of the system decreases, and the mobility of the molecules decreases. At the same time, the role of intermolecular bonds is enhanced, due to which various supramolecular particles can be formed. Scientists' experiments with supercooled liquid o_terphenyl suggested that a dynamic "network" of more densely packed molecules could form in a supercooled liquid over time. This grid is divided into cells (regions). Molecular repacking inside the cell determines the rate of rotation of the molecules in it, and a slower restructuring of the network itself leads to a change in this rate with time. Something similar can happen in water.
In 2009, the Japanese physicist Masakazu Matsumoto, using computer simulations, put forward his theory of changes in the density of water and published it in the journal Physical Review letters(Why Does Water Expand When It Cools?) As you know, in liquid form, water molecules are combined into groups (H 2 O) through hydrogen bonding. x, where x is the number of molecules. The most energetically favorable combination of five water molecules ( x= 5) with four hydrogen bonds, in which the bonds form a tetrahedral angle equal to 109.47 degrees.
However, thermal vibrations of water molecules and interactions with other molecules not included in the cluster prevent such a union, deviating the value of the hydrogen bond angle from the equilibrium value of 109.47 degrees. In order to somehow quantitatively characterize this process of angular deformation, Matsumoto and colleagues put forward a hypothesis about the existence of three-dimensional microstructures in water, resembling convex hollow polyhedra. Later, in subsequent publications, they called such microstructures vitrites. In them, the vertices are water molecules, the role of the edges is played by hydrogen bonds, and the angle between hydrogen bonds is the angle between the edges in vitrite.
According to Matsumoto's theory, there is a huge variety of forms of vitrites, which, like mosaic elements, make up a large part of the structure of water and which at the same time evenly fill its entire volume.
The figure shows six typical vitrites that form the internal structure of water. The balls correspond to water molecules, the segments between the balls represent hydrogen bonds. Rice. from an article by Masakazu Matsumoto, Akinori Baba, and Iwao Ohminea.
Water molecules tend to create tetrahedral angles in vitrites, since vitrites should have the lowest possible energy. However, due to thermal motions and local interactions with other vitrites, some vitrites take on structurally non-equilibrium configurations that allow the entire system to obtain the lowest possible energy value. These were called frustrated. If unfrustrated vitrites have the maximum cavity volume at a given temperature, then frustrated vitrites, on the contrary, have the minimum possible volume. Computer simulations by Matsumoto showed that the average volume of vitrite cavities decreases linearly with increasing temperature. At the same time, frustrated vitrites significantly reduce their volume, while the volume of the cavity of non-frustrated vitrites almost does not change.
So, the compression of water with increasing temperature, according to scientists, is caused by two competing effects - the elongation of hydrogen bonds, which leads to an increase in the volume of water, and a decrease in the volume of the cavities of frustrated vitrites. In the temperature range from 0 to 4°C, the latter phenomenon, as shown by calculations, prevails, which ultimately leads to the observed compression of water with increasing temperature.
This explanation is based so far only on computer simulations. Experimentally it is very difficult to confirm. Research into the interesting and unusual properties of water continues.
Sources
O.V. Alexandrova, M.V. Marchenkova, E.A. Pokintelits "Analysis of thermal effects characterizing the crystallization of supercooled melts" (Donbass National Academy of Civil Engineering and Architecture)
Yu. Erin. A new theory has been proposed to explain why water contracts when heated from 0 to 4°C (
We all have probably heard how a person is called a "walrus". Usually, this word is used in relation to those who can easily endure the low temperature of water or air. However, real "walruses" mean a slightly different meaning of the word. About history winter swimming, ice marathons and why the most enduring winter swimmers are offended by the word "walrus" and this article will tell.
A Brief History of "Walruses" and "Bears"
winter swimming, it is winter swimming, this is swimming in cold or icy water of an open reservoir in winter, and, often, beyond the limits of the capabilities of an ordinary human body. Winter swimming is the highest form of hardening of the body. It is generally accepted that winter swimming originated in Russia. So, back in the middle of the century before last, there was information about people who normally endured winter water and even swam in it, but this information, for the most part, was scattered and did not receive confirmation. The modern history of "walruses" begins in the 20th century, when winter swimming clubs began to appear in Russia.Going a little into the theory, we clarify that " walruses"- this is a popular name and too collective. In a narrow circle, "walruses" are those who are able to swim in cold (from 10 to 4 degrees Celsius) water. Actually, most winter swimming enthusiasts are "walruses". But there are exceptions - there are only 30 of them all over the world, of which two dozen are in Russia - which are capable of swimming in ice water (from 4 to -2 degrees Celsius). These exceptions call themselves "polar bears" and consider themselves "absolutely different" from "walruses" (which is generally true - you can learn to swim, but you can only be born a "bear"). The organisms of "bears", due to an unknown medical phenomenon, can withstand the environment many times longer than the organisms of ordinary people. In the archives Association "Marathon Winter Swimming" there is evidence of how a “bear” with a body temperature of 32 degrees (a lethal body temperature for an ordinary person) led a meaningful dialogue and even performed the simplest mathematical operations, and after warming up, he completely came to his senses.
But in the 1980s, no one even suspected about the "bears" - there were only "walruses". They were made fun of, but generally respected - after all, many of them pushed their bodies to such feats that not every athlete can dream of. With the advent of perestroika and the subsequent collapse of the USSR, the walruses went into the shadows - in those years it was necessary to survive not only in icy water. It was then that the aforementioned association was born, becoming a symbol of the fact that life goes on.
The first action of the association was the holding of the first ever marathon winter swim in August 1991. It took place in the Bering Strait, at a temperature of four to eight degrees Celsius. 60 people participated in that swim, 15 of them were women, the participants swam in several shifts. The total distance was 41 kilometers. In that swim, the assumption of "bears" appeared - some participants looked much better than others, with a similar level of health and fitness. However, the “bears” themselves consider all participants in the swim to be their own, specifying that although swimming in icy water is not available to them, they definitely deserve the honorary title.
The next year, in February, another event was held - a winter marathon relay race. This time the athletes replaced each other one after another and in 68 hours 33 swimmers covered 185 kilometers. Then the above-described case with a low-temperature "bear" was recorded.
A few months later, the association gathered exclusively "bears" and, with the help of the Russian army, transferred them to the Severnaya Zemlya archipelago. A group of 21 "bears" cut ice for 14 hours in order to get to the water, and when they got there, they organized a competition "who will stay the longest." The water temperature was -2 degrees, while the air temperature was -20. The absolute record (10 minutes 25 seconds) was set by 34-year-old Muscovite Lyudmila Burshkhova.
Since then, the members of the association have been quiet, not holding any more big events, except for the annual walrus competition in the capital.
Winter swimming in the 21st century
Nowadays, there are more and more walruses, and winter swimming has even become an official sport. In various cities, walrus clubs are being opened or restored, where veterans of the movement share the secrets of winter swimming with beginners. In general, winter swimming has become an integral part of Russian reality, becoming something familiar to Russians and shocking to foreigners. However, winter swimming competitions are held in many countries - in 2000, a set of rules for winter swimming was adopted in Finland (and edited in 2002). In addition to Russians and Finns, the Chinese, Canadians and Scandinavians know a lot about winter swimming. In addition, world walrus competitions are held annually.Effects of winter swimming on health
“Swimming in cold water for an unprepared person is death!” - warn experienced walruses. Indeed, if a person does not even know what hardening with cold water is, he will last about two minutes in the hole, and then he will fall down with a high temperature. So for your first “dive” you need to prepare for a long time and hard - temper yourself, engage in simple swimming and, in general, pull your physical form to the proper level.But after you successfully swim across your first body of water (traditionally, this is a hole 3-4 meters in length), you will notice that you have stopped catching a cold. It's just that your body is already accustomed to low temperatures, as well as to sudden cooling (water draws heat ten times faster than air). So, with proper exercise and good preparation, swimming in cold water is extremely beneficial.
However, there are quite a few contraindications to winter swimming - muscle injuries that can cause, as well as a weakening of the body caused by illness or pregnancy. In addition, it is not recommended to climb into the hole with inflammatory diseases, diseases of the nervous system, skin and venereal diseases, diseases of the respiratory system, cardiovascular, genitourinary system, some diseases of the organs of vision (for example, conjunctivitis, glaucoma). Winter swimming is strictly prohibited for those suffering from hypertension, atherosclerosis, epilepsy, rheumatism. It is worth refraining from winter swimming in cold water for people with post-burn scars - hellish pain in them is guaranteed.
Rules for conducting winter swimming lessons
Occupation winter swimming includes the following steps:- Warm up. It helps to bring all body systems into working condition and is performed outdoors for 10-15 minutes. Also, the warm-up can take place in a pool with heated water.
- General physical training. This stage is carried out in the gym or pool with heated water for 25-30 minutes.
- Swimming in cold water. The duration of stay in the water in the first winter is no more than 20 seconds, the second - no more than 40-50, the third - 60-70 seconds. The duration decreases with severe frost and wind. During swimming, you must make at least 30 strokes per minute. Swim breaststroke without submerging your head. Coming out of the water, immediately wipe off, put on a tracksuit or bathrobe, go into the room.
- Warming exercises. These exercises are aimed at eliminating "cold debt" and restoring thermal balance in the body. You can also do self-massage, swim in warm water or take a shower. If you decide to take up winter swimming, it is better, at least at the beginning of the journey, to do it in a group under the supervision and guidance of an experienced instructor.
Battles of the "walruses"
As we have already mentioned, mass walrus competitions have been held all over the world since 2000. Exist four types of competition- individual swims at a distance of 25 to 450 meters, relay races at 25 meters, a seal swim where the time of passing the distance is not recorded and the competition of "seals" - candidates for "walruses" who only dip.In individual swims, participants are divided into 9 groups - by age. Group A is swimmers under 20 years old, group I is over 70 years old. The remaining ages are evenly divided between groups B to H. In addition, the individual competitions for men and women are held separately.
In relay races, the combined age of all four swimmers is considered. Here the team may already be composed of representatives of both sexes. There are four relay groups:
- Up to 150 years.
- From 150 to 200.
- From 200 to 300 years.
- From 300 years.
Curious competitions, or rather even a festival, for lovers of winter swimming are held annually in January in the Republic of Korea. This event, called the "Polar Bear", was recognized by the BBC channel as the most original winter sports in the world. Tournament participants first run 10 meters to the water on the sand, and then swim 80 meters in icy water. First held in 1988 in honor of the Olympic Games in Seoul, these competitions bring together more than a thousand participants from different countries. "Polar Bear" offers its guests not only a dip in the icy waters of the Korea Strait, but also a variety of recreational activities such as games, competitions, body art, dancing and photo shoots.
In conclusion of the article, I would like to remind you once again that winter swimming requires a long preliminary preparation and strict adherence to the rules. Temper gradually and systematically, moving from simple to complex, and your body will not let any colds in!