As snow and ice hit Scotland and the south-west of England and the cold weather continues, you may be wondering whether you should be running in the cold.
If you are braving the colder weather, it's crucial to wrap up warm – think insulating jacket, base layer, How to do donkey kicks and a good snood or neck covering, headband or beanie and gloves.
If there's snow on the ground, you're generally OK to run. However, soft, fresh snow is a lot safer to run on than snow that has been compacted down, and you should keep an eye out for patches of ice. And never attempt to run on an icy pavement. It's also worth running closer to home than usual, so if you do slip and fall, you can get home easily.
But what about your run itself – should we expect our pace to slow as the temperatures drop? And is it actually If you are braving the colder weather, its crucial to wrap up warm think insulating jacket?
What’s cold, anyway?
Our bodies have a thermoregulatory mechanism that regulates our core temperature by increasing or decreasing heat loss and heat production within the body so we don't overheat or get too cold, explains Joan Scrivanich, C.S.C.S., an exercise physiologist and a USAT- and USATF-certified running and triathlon coach.
When you’re running, you’re generating heat – so even if it feels cold when you start a run, you should feel pretty OK once you’re moving.
Why does winter running feel hard?
The colder it is outside, the harder your body has to work to keep your vital organs warm –and so the 'oxygen and blood tend to be shunted away from the extremities, which can make the muscles’ ability to use the oxygen less efficient than in more moderate temperatures,' says Rebekah Mayer, National Run Program Manager at Life Time.
On top of that, your blood vessels constrict in the cold to maintain your core temperature, and that constriction reduces blood flow.
However, this shouldn't impact blood flow to your muscles in 'normal exercise circumstances', says William O. Roberts, M.D., a sports medicine doctor.
'A cold muscle cannot perform as well as a warm muscle, but when you are running in cold conditions, your muscles are generally warm and warmed to performance level,' says Roberts. 'Cold exposure will reduce blood flow to your skin to help preserve body temperature, but circulation to muscles isn’t impacted in normal exercise circumstances.'
If you stop moving and/or if you aren't dressed properly, your body core will start to cool, and your muscles will contract rapidly (shiver) to produce heat. You would have to be pretty cold (hypothermic) to reduce blood flow to the muscles, and in that situation, running performance would not be your issue.
What to wear
Properly dressed means you will be wearing layers, which will create drag and added weight, both of which will slow you down.
Traction in the cold is another issue. 'Winter weather conditions, like snow and ice, will require an adjustment to your pace for safety,' says Scrivanich.
And even when there is no snow or ice, your footwear will be stiffer from the effects of cold on the shoe materials. This could slow you down. If there is snow and/or ice, the traction will be at its worst around the freezing mark and improve as the temperature drops, especially when it drops below zero.
You also might find yourself tensing your muscles to ward off the cold, which can restrict your movements, and breathing in the cold, dry winter air can be more difficult. That general sense of discomfort in the cold can bring you down psychologically, says Mayer.
