Probing into human body’s physical extremity in cryo-water
Gangyi Wang
(School of Management, Dalian University of Technology, Dalian 116024, China)
Abstract: Aim: Probing into human body’s physical extremity in cryo-water and extremity’s boost. Method: Through swimming in cryo-water such as polar region, we examined human body’s physical bearing capacity when people in the cryo-water, observed human’s physical and mental changing process and the mental affect after suffering serious hypoxia. Outcome: Ordinary person can break through life “forbidden zone” by regular training and survival time in cold environment can be improved several times. Mental force produced by confidence and perseverance is an important factor that advances body’s cold-resistant limit. Weaklings who suffer low temperature injure should be salved and aroused, avoiding his stupefaction by all means. Then knead him from head to foot, which will cost equal or more time that he dipped in water. Mental obstacle person whose cerebrum suffers serious hypoxia should be cured in time and actively. Conclusion: Human body’s physical extremity can be boosted.
Key words: cryo-water, physical extremity, GangYi Law
The Secret of Body’s Physical Extremity in Cryo-Water
What is human body’s physical extremity in cryo-water (below2℃ ) ? It’s still an unsolved problem. What is certain that cryo-water kill thousands of casualty in shipwrecks.
Apr. 15,1912, when the famous huge passenger liner “Titanic” came to the North Atlantic and the northeast side of Newfoundland, Canada at its first sail, it sank after run into the iceberg. 1502 people frozen to death in the icy water of 4℃ in 5-10 minutes.
For the coefficient of thermal conductivity of water is several times that of air, when the human body of about 37℃ suddenly come into the water of 0℃~2℃ it will gives up a lot of quantity of heat rapidly. Especially when you swim in the nude, body in the movement will lose even more heat without protection and the survival time is shorten. When it comes to the physical extremity of human body, a series of physiological response add up the possibility of hyperkinesias, inspiring water, myocardial infarction, all lead to a sudden.
According to the statistics of shipwreck: Every year ,there are about 10 thousands of shipwrecks ; several thousands of ships sink; more than 100 thousands of people die for that, among them 80% are frozen to death with life jacket.
But the data for the survival time of human in cold environment are few : For ordinary people still with usual clothes in seawater, they can just survive a few minutes in water below 0℃;15minutes in water of 2℃; 30 minutes in water of 2.5℃; 60 minutes in water of 5℃; 3 hours in water of 10℃ and 24 hours in water of 25℃. But in fact, for unreasoning struggle or numbness in cold water, most people drown before that.
The cryo-water seriously threatens the security of people in the sea. We really need to know: What is human body’s physical extremity in cryo-water?
To Break the Forbiddance of Body’s Physical Extremity in Cryo-Water
I’m a lawyer and professor in college and began polar swim from 1999. After various adventures and risks my life, I created 5 World Records in polar swimming. These records provide important data for research in this region.
Jan.1,2001, I swam 1.2km in DaLian Yellow Sea and set the record of 48min in –1℃ water. When I got on the beach, I felt seriously anoxic in brain, delirious and numb. Regained consciousness after kneaded for an hour. 12 hours later, I rejuvenated after taking some food and hot drink.
Jan.27 2001, I became the first person who swim across Lago Grey, a large, icy lake in Chile, 35min in 1.5℃ water ,gale on the lake. Everything went well after I finished.
Feb.7, 2001, I swam 1.5km for 51’42’17 in the 1.4℃ water of the Antarctic Gulf, break the world record for swimming the longest time in the icy water . Before I went into the water, my pulse was at 120 per minute with body temperature 37℃ and blood pressure160/110mmHg。I felt delirious and numb when I got out of water and my body temperature went on falling. Knead and aroused for 30min. I was out of danger. My pulse was at 80 per minute with body temperature 35℃ and blood pressure120/80mmHg。One hours later I could walk supported by the others and recovered my consciousness by degrees. I rejuvenated 12 hours later but feeling melancholy. It took me 2 months to recover from a slight hypomnesia and cognitive disorder.
Dec.22, 2001,I became the first to cover the Han River in winter after swimming 1.2km for 27’23 in 1℃ water . Felt well after a simple massage. I recovered from cold 3 days later.
Nov.7, 2002,I conquered the ice sea of Hokkaido in Japan after swimming 31’30 in the 0℃ water ,wave height up to 4m. I got melancholy , cognitive disorder and Multiple Braincase Infarction with cold. It took me 2 months to recover with the help of doctors.
Jan.20, 2004, I created a world record to swim 37’30 in the 0.7℃ water over the site where the Titanic sank. This time I was almost died, but I got back to live after 1 hour’s salvage. Again I got mental depression, cognitive disorder and recovered 2 months.
To my point of view , to tell the human body’s physical extremity in cryo-water is totally different from sports . You have to feel death personally to get the data. Only in that way the data can be of practical value in life sciences , martial medicine and physical training area .
To Expand the Law of Body’s Physical Extremity in Cryo-Water
Experts Ma Junren, Lu Rude and Zhao Wulian (Korean ) who take part in this research sum up a series of steps for ordinary person to break through life “forbidden zone” by regular training and for helping who suffer low temperature injure. They call it “GangYi Law”.
“GangYi Law A”: Ordinary person can break through life “forbidden zone” by regular training and survival time in cold environment can be improved several times.
I’m just an ordinary people without any special ability. In fact, I suffered from serious tummy bug and gastroptosis. Arthritis, neurasthenic and cold often torture me. Believe it or not, all of them disappeared after I started winter swimming.
Training usually starts in autumn. Every day I swim for an hour at least. With the coming of winter, the water temperature falls 1℃ per week gradually. When my body gets used to the cold environment, I can swim 2km in 0℃ water for an hour. If the training stopped for several days , it takes 4 days training to adapted again. I used to swim for 30 minutes in -4℃ water mixed with ice at Jan. 5,2003. 80% of my skin and muscle got apart. My blood vessel and nerve broke off. After rubbing with ice and dripping in cold water for 4 days , I have sense again.
My body’s cold-resistant ability increase incredibility by scientific training day by day. It has been proved that through scientific training the body can create more cold-resistant protein which increase the function of blood circulation and nerve and keep heart beat strongly. By that, ordinary person can break through life “forbidden zone”.
“GangYi Law B”:Mental force produced by confidence and perseverance is an important factor that advances body’s cold-resistant limit.
“Cold” is the first problem for winter swimmer. When the 37℃ body suddenly dripped into 0℃ sea water, it will lose lots of heat and feel cold. But actually every winter swimmer feel cold, the difference is that they are not fear of that. Psychological facts play an important role in winter swim. Experiments have proved that mental efforts determine 80% of survival time in cryo-water while physical facts only take 20%. According to experience people who are scared in the accident usually can’t sustain till rescue come while those with strong mind can always be the survival. Exposure to ice-cold water will arose cold-shock response for ordinary people. These include a reflex inspiratory gasp followed by a short period of uncontrollable hyperventilation, tachycardia. That lead to hyperkinesias and inspiring water. So the first important thing is to control yourself, keep clam and hold on till the last minute.
My key words of success are a clear goal, confidence of final success, a strong will power and a claim heart. Those create outstanding mental power for me .
“GangYi Law C”:Weaklings who suffer low temperature injure should be salved and aroused, avoiding his stupefaction by all means. Then knead him from head to foot, which will cost equal or more time that he dipped in water.
After challenging the cryo-water will come a period of extreme danger with persistent low temperature. At this time you have to pay attention for two things:
First, hydraulic pressure can help blood pressed to heart in winter swimming but when the pressure disappears when swimmer is polled out upright. That may cause a shortage blood supply to heart and leads to shock. For that reason, we’d better poll out the swimmer with the body lying low.
Second, the wounded is still in palsy because of frostbite. His body temperature goes down in danger. We should avoid his stupefaction by all means. Then knead him from head to foot, which will cost equal or more time that he dipped in water.
“GangYi Law D”:Mental obstacle person whose cerebrum suffers serious hypoxia should be cured in time and actively.
Psychological treatments are usually neglected when the wounded get out of live danger. But in my experience, suffering serious hypoxia may leads to mental obstacle. Cured in time and actively in 2 months can leave out unnecessary problem.
Successfully challenged the ice sea of South Pole five years ago ,I decided to challenge Arctic Ocean this July. The set time for the trip is on Jul. 28,2006, in memory of the foundation of China Arctic Huanghe Station for 2 years. He will swim in the King Bay of Spitsbergen in Norway (78°55’north ,11°56’east ).The icy water is only 0℃, with polar bear and seal haunted there. It means that there are two practical dangers: the main one is from the polar bear; and the other is the limitation of human body. To the people who used to the summer weather, the body has lower ability to stand against chilliness. When it come to this July, can he sustain the icy water just after a few days training? What is the limitation of the human body? This challenge is also a research activity. The program gets the attention of National Ocean Service and China Base Research Center; they will jointly perform a research on human’s physiological limit to low temperature through Wang’s swimming activity. Some of the most famous scientists highly praised the program as the pioneer of challenge the atrocious environment.