Body's reaction to cold countered by alcohol?

[JonM]

I saw an episode of Mythbusters where they took on the idea that brandy warms you up when you're really chilled. What I took from that episode is this: When you're cold, your body says "Whoah! It's cold! I better protect the heart, lungs, liver, brain, etc. and, since I can live without fingers and toes, I'll restrict capillaries and blood flow to the fingers, toes, end of your nose, etc. to keep heat in the important parts." And that's why your fingers, toes, etc. get really cold when you're in the cold winter weather.

Alcohol, according to the Mythbusters, reverses that capillary restriction, and makes MORE blood flow to the fingers, toes, end of your nose, etc. which is why some people get flushed cheeks when drinking, and why you feel warmer when you have a brandy when coming in out of the cold. It doesn't warm you, it just redirects heat from the important parts to the cold parts.

This is all a long way of saying I came in from shoveling and had numb fingers and toes, and (with some difficulty) I popped open a Ten Fidy. Half a glass later and my fingers and toes are nice and warm. Cheers, all.

 

[day_trippr]

And you seem quite lucid as well, so there must've been enough blood to your brain

So, what did the show conclude: myth busted, or no?

Cheers!

 

[Curtis2010]

Busted long before Myth Busters got to it.

Redirecting blood flow to extremities, and cold tissue, in extreme conditions can be deadly. The blood flows thru the cold tissue, cools, and returns to the core...dropping core temp and inudcing deeper hypothermia. Sort of like a wort chiller.

Napolean's doctor made one of the first recorded observations of this phenomena during their ill fated invasion of Russia. He noticed that men closer to the fire (built to warm them) had a higher mortallity rate than those further away (who warmed more slowly and completely).

So, if you ever find yourself totally F'ed in a bad cold situation...enjoy that last homebrew. ;-)

 

[JonM]

Exactly. If you're in a life-or-death cold situation, alcohol will hasten your progress toward hypothermia by redirecting heat from the really important parts to the extremities.

If you've been outside shoveling, sledding, playing, etc. and go into a warm house, have a nip off the ol' bottle to help warm your fingers and toes up.

 

[gratus fermentatio]

2 words: hip flask.
Regards, GF.

 

[Hang Glider]

Exactly. If you're in a life-or-death cold situation, alcohol will hasten your progress toward hypothermia by redirecting heat from the really important parts to the extremities.

If you've been outside shoveling, sledding, playing, etc. and go into a warm house, have a nip off the ol' bottle to help warm your fingers and toes up.

same reason not to stay in a hot tub too long - the blood flows to the extremities to cool off ...BUT, instead picks up the heat of the water and overheats the core.

 

[brandonman]

So after some thought, in reality, the old St. Bernard with the Brandy around it's neck COULD have been useful, but only once one gets indoors, at which point it would probably be HELPFUL, as it allows the blood to have more heat transfer with the warm environment.

Of course, after more thought, though, I guess it'd be stupid NOT to keep the brandy indoors, though. Nevermind.

 

[Curtis2010]

same reason not to stay in a hot tub too long - the blood flows to the extremities to cool off ...BUT, instead picks up the heat of the water and overheats the core.

...and the heat not only overheats you but cause your blood pressure to drop and you pass out.

I worked in a health club in college and we used to have haul people out of the steam bath on a regular basis....it was always old fat guys....never young hotties. :-(

 

[cluckk]

In Arctic Warfare School they taught us that drinking alcohol in an arctic survival situation will reduce your chance of survival, not increase it, because it compounds the possibility of hypothermia and the intoxicating effects can mask it. However, if it is simply a question of coming into your warm house where hypothermia is not going to happen and having a pull from your bottle to "stoke the fire," then go right a head.

 

[DrunkleJon]

So after some thought, in reality, the old St. Bernard with the Brandy around it's neck COULD have been useful, but only once one gets indoors, at which point it would probably be HELPFUL, as it allows the blood to have more heat transfer with the warm environment.

Of course, after more thought, though, I guess it'd be stupid NOT to keep the brandy indoors, though. Nevermind.

Except for the fact that if your extremities are that cold and you increase blood flow too fast the cold blood hitting your heart will cause a heart attack and kill you straight off. As Curtis said, and what was noticed when victims of the titanic were recovered, once warmed (quickly) they were dropping like flies because the freezing blood hit the heart and core making things worse.

 

[brandonman]

Except for the fact that if your extremities are that cold and you increase blood flow too fast the cold blood hitting your heart will cause a heart attack and kill you straight off. As Curtis said, and what was noticed when victims of the titanic were recovered, once warmed (quickly) they were dropping like flies because the freezing blood hit the heart and core making things worse.

Interesting. Never knew that. Learn something everyday.