Replies

From http://www.swimmingpool.info/temperature.html :

“What should the temperature of a swimming pool be?

The decision on how warm to keep the pool is up to the individual owner. The pool temperature recommended by the American Red Cross for competitive swimming is 78° F. However, this may be too cool for young children and the elderly who may require 80° F or higher. The typical range is 78°- 82° F. “

From http://scuba-doc.com/coldjolie.html :

DOES FAT MATTER?
There’s a growing body of opinion (that means that two people have said it) that fat does not keep you warm, or does not help unless you are obese. However, research consistantly substantiates body fat as a major deterrent to heat loss.

Body insulation increases directly with the average thickness of the fat layer under the skin (Park et al., 1984) and with deep body fat (Carlson et al.,1958). People with thicker fat layers lose less core heat at rest and during exercise both in cold air and cold water (Dulac, 1987; Wolff, 1985). Thicker people tolerate a lower temperature before shivering, and their core temperature does not drop as fast during swimming in cold water compared to thinner people (Veicsteinas & Rennie 1982). Thin people raise their metabolic rate higher than fatter people in a none too successful attempt to keep as warm as the more calorically challenged (Keatinge,1960). There is no question that the advantage is to the young and the globular.

DO MUSCLES MATTER?
Muscles are wonderful. Nothing wrong with having more muscle than less. However the statement that muscle is somehow ‘better’ than fat at insulation doesn’t lend itself to sweeping conclusion. Muscle and skin provide less thermal resistance than fat (Veicsteinas et al., 1982). During exercise, muscle rapidly convects away the heat it produces, making fat a better insulator during exercise in cold water like scuba diving (Rennie,1988).