Human cold habituation: Physiology, timeline, and modifiers.
Level 5 - mechanism / opinion, no new human data
Narrative review synthesizing past physiological literature and mechanisms without systematic search methodology.
PubMed 36106151 · doi:10.1080/23328940.2021.1903145
What was done
This was a narrative review synthesizing literature on human and non-human cold habituation. The authors evaluated how repeated, short-duration mild cold exposures alter physiological responses, compared habituation to hypermetabolic and insulative adaptations, and examined the proposed underlying mechanisms.
What was found
The abstract reports no numerical data or effect sizes. Conceptually, it describes cold habituation as an early adaptation to repeated mild cold stress that paradoxically reduces traditional cold defenses, resulting in higher skin temperatures, attenuated shivering, and decreased cold sensation to conserve metabolic energy.
Why it matters
The review clarifies the distinction between early energy-conserving habituation and later hypermetabolic or insulative defense mechanisms during chronic cold exposure.
Limits
This is a narrative review without systematic search protocols, explicit inclusion criteria, or formal risk-of-bias assessment. The abstract gives no specific study counts, human sample sizes, or quantitative outcome metrics.
Cited by
- supports Studies from the 1930s showed Australian Aborigines were able to achieve normal REM sleep in sub-freezing (30-degree) conditions without blankets, while Caucasian controls were unable to adapt.