Effect of running in below freezing temps on muscles and breathing?

Because muscles rely on chemical reactions to produce energy, and reactions happen slower in lower temperatures and your body reduces blood flow in your extremities when you're cold. When you have less blood flowing through your hands and fingers, your muscles are slower to respond, and your tendons are stiff.

Logo for WebMD

Logo for WebMD

CHECK YOUR SYMPTOMS

FIND A DOCTOR

FIND LOWEST DRUG PRICES

HEALTH A-Z

DRUGS & SUPPLEMENTS

LIVING HEALTHY

FAMILY & PREGNANCY

NEWS & EXPERTS

MOBILE APPSSUBSCRIPTIONSSUBSCRIBE

SEARCH

SUBSCRIBE

SEARCH

Fitness & Exercise Feature Stories

Do Your Muscles Hurt More When It's Cold Out?

FROM THE WEBMD ARCHIVES

By Amber Greviskes

The Rumor: Winter workouts can lead to sore muscles and injuries

Each year, after my first outdoor workout after the temperature drops, my legs are achy the following day. I’m not particularly out of shape. In fact, I exercise daily and these pains can’t be attributed to pushing myself too hard or trying new exercises. Instead, each November, like clockwork, the muscles in my legs tighten, strain and remain that way for several days. Many people I meet at the gym share similar stories. None of us has arthritis or other conditions that should trigger this pain, and we often wonder what’s wrong.

The Verdict: Cold weather can cause tighter muscles and joints

Cold weather causes muscles to lose more heat and contract, causing tightness throughout the body. Joints get tighter, muscles can lose their range of motion and nerves can more easily be pinched, according to Los Angeles-based orthopedic physical therapist Vivian Eisenstadt.

Thanks to the effects of colder temps, muscles are forced to work much harder to complete the same tasks they complete easily in milder weather. This causes more damage to the muscle tissue and can result in increased soreness.

Hot air has more kinetic energy. Cold air has less kinetic energy. Since air is made up of carbon dioxide, nitrogen gas (n2) and oxygen, and we know that in a cold temperature, there is less movement, then it is safe to assume that running in cold, your lungs require to exhale and inhale more to absorb oxygen.

However, if you did belly breathing, you'd already know that slow, deeper breaths allow your lungs to absorb more oxygen per inhalation than nose breathing.

Also remember that blood flows to protect your organs or something about warming them up. However, you're working your quads too and yet your body also has other organs and extremities to protect (fingers, calves). Remember when you run uphill, your calf is also called like a heart pump.

Therefore I can say that running in the heat and cold are different environments and the healing process is determined by circulation of your body and what you ate.

I'm a soon to be doctor. Well, plant doctor... (B.S. degree).

Hire me! I'm in Boston!