How Winter Olympic athletes cope with sub-zero temperatures in Pyeongchang

If human muscle is cooled by one degree, it loses 2-5% of its performance

The canvas of white currently fascinating many viewers of the Winter Olympics in Pyeongchang may seem totally foreign to those more used to watching sport played under the summer sun. It is grey and cold in the South Korean alpine town. Temperatures drop below -10 degrees celsius at night.

Many might have questions about how elite athletes can perform to their best in such cold conditions. So, what’s happening to the body in the cold. What stresses does it experience? And what about injury?

What happens to muscle in the cold?

If human muscle is cooled by one degree, it