Core Temperature in Open Water Wetsuited Swimming.

Core Temperature in Open Water Wetsuited Swimming: a Cohort Study

Swimming in cold water is intrinsically unsafe. One of the threats is a fall in core body temperature (Tcore), which adversely affects all body systems and increases the risk of death. Wetsuits mitigate, but do not negate this threat. Environmental conditions may confound findings from laboratory studies or computer models, thus necessitating open water studies.

This study was designed to investigate the effects of open water wetsuited swimming on core body temperature at a range of different water temperatures between 8.4oC and 24.5oC.

Study Overview

• Status: Completed
• Conditions: Temperature
• Intervention / Treatment: Other: Open water wetsuited swimming.

• Study Type: Observational
• Enrollment (Actual): 36

Contacts and Locations

Study Locations

• Norway
  • Olso, Norway
    • Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

Participation Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

• Ages Eligible for Study: Adult; Older Adult
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

• Sampling Method: Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

Trained and highly trained swimmers were recruited from local swim clubs and via social media

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

• Trained and highly trained swimmers.

Exclusion Criteria:

• a history of cardiovascular disease, arrhythmias, or gastrointestinal abnormalities precluding the use of rectal temperature measurement.

Study Plan

How is the study designed?

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Outcome Measure	Measure Description	Time Frame
Core temperature	A self-inserted rectal pill was used to continuously measure core temperature in 76 open water swims by 31 wetsuited swimmers in water temperatures ranging from 8.4°C to 24.5°C. The Tcore curves were analysed by linear mixed model regression.	The thermistor was inserted 15 minutes prior to immersion and measured the core temperature until 30 minutes after egress from the water.

Collaborators and Investigators

• Sponsor: University Hospital, Akershus
• Collaborators: Oslo University Hospital; Norwegian Armed Forces Medical Service; SINTEF MiNaLab
• Investigators: Study Director: Jonny Hisdal, PhD, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway

Study record dates

Study Major Dates

• Study Start (Actual): October 27, 2015
• Primary Completion (Actual): October 18, 2020
• Study Completion (Actual): October 18, 2020

Study Registration Dates

• First Submitted: November 11, 2024
• First Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 11, 2024
• First Posted (Estimated): November 12, 2024

Study Record Updates

• Last Update Posted (Estimated): November 12, 2024
• Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria: November 11, 2024
• Last Verified: November 1, 2024

More Information

Terms related to this study

• Keywords: water; cold; swim; Core temperature; wetsuit
• Other Study ID Numbers: Akershus Universitetssykehus

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

• Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?: YES
• IPD Plan Description: IPD will be shared upon request from a validated body and subject to a data sharing agreement with the University of Oslo.
• IPD Sharing Time Frame: IPD and supporting data will be available from publication of the primary outcome data in a peer review journal and will be supported for 10 years form that date.
• IPD Sharing Access Criteria: IPD will be shared upon request from a validated body and subject to a data sharing agreement with the University of Oslo.
• IPD Sharing Supporting Information Type: STUDY_PROTOCOL; SAP; ICF

Drug and device information, study documents

• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product: No
• Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product: No
• product manufactured in and exported from the U.S.: No