What Researchers Did
Researchers studied ten healthy volunteers to see how their hearts responded to cold water immersion during a 6-hour hyperbaric oxygen session at pressures between 1.6 and 3 ATA, comparing it to a dry hyperbaric session.
What They Found
During cold water immersion, stroke volume and heart chamber sizes remained stable, unlike in dry conditions where they decreased. Heart rate significantly dropped after 5 hours in cold water, but not in dry conditions. Cardiac output decreased by almost 20% after 5 hours in both immersed and dry conditions.
Canadian Relevance
No direct Canadian connection identified.
Study Limitations
The study involved a small group of healthy volunteers, and the specific conditions of cold water immersion are not typical for standard hyperbaric oxygen therapy treatments.