Effects Of Polar Cold And Work

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30898, 3 November 1965, Page 1

Effects Of Polar Cold And Work

Observations on the effects of the intense cold in the Antarctic and the heavy manual work there on fat-tissue characteristics in physique and of the effects of altitude on physical fitness will be made on three students of the University of Canterbury in the next two months.

Four men have been selcted as a “support force” for Dr. C. Patterson, of the California Institute of Technology, who will make geophysical studies at Byrd station comparable with the research he recently com-

pleted in Greenland. But one of them, a physical education expert, will make physical tests on the other three. The four men are Mr G. M. Leek, an assistant physical education officer, who is a naturalised Dutchman, Mr C. Potter, born in Hong Kong, and now a naturalised flnalyear science student, Mr M. Dewe, a Rhodesian doing postgraduate work in electrical engineering, and Mr P. Squires, a New Zealander also doing post-graduate engineering. »

The University of Canterbury team will do Dr. Patterson’s heavy work. For some years the university physical education officer (Mr A. S. Lewis) and his staff have been doing “somatotyping” measurement of physique—which shows group characteristics. For instance, one type may indicate high potential at putting the shot and another may show the makings of long-distance runners, irrespective of training.

One of these measures is of skin folds of fat tissue in certain positions not quickly changed by food intake. One is at the back of the arm, another near the waist, and a third under the shoulder blade. Mr Leek has measured these folds on his colleagues in Christchurch. When they get to Byrd station and have undertaken their rigorous programme he will go to work with his callipers again and see what effect the cold and the work have had. It is possible that the position of the fat tissue will shift

Byrd station is at 5000 ft and Mr Leek will also check his colleagues’ fitness compared with their known performance under normal conditions in Christchurch. Although this will be a small experiment, Mr Leek believes he may get data of interest about physiology in relation to work in the Antarctic,