Autonomic nervous system and adaptation to cold in man

neruous system and adaptation to cold in man. J. Appl. Physiol. 39(2): 181-186. 1975.-The responses to a cold hand test (blood pressure increase and tachycardia) and to a cold face test (blood pressure increase and bradycardia) were used to study the role of the autonomic nervous system in cold adaptation in humans. The Eskimos (men, women, children) were shown to have a very weak sympathetic response to cold but the vagal response (brady-cardia) was identical to that of white people. A group of mailmen from Quebec city living outdoors approximately 30 h/wk through-out the year was also studied. A significant decline in the cold pressor response and an enhanced bradycardia (cold face test) were observed at the end of the winter. Similarly the fall in skin temperature of the cheek was not as pronounced when the measure-ments were made in May compared to those made in October. A group of soldiers was also studied before and after an Arcti