During our experiment, our subjects heart rate increased by a huge 35bpm from our basal reading whole body immersion, which was to be expected. This was due to an increase in sympathetic drive, subsequently causing vasoconstriction of the periphery from the release of norepinephrine (Croft et al., 2013; Silverthorn & Michael, 2013).
Vasoconstriction of the peripheral following cold water submersion commands the blood to flow to centrally ultimately to ensure the body’s vital organs remain within a homeostatic range. This vasoconstriction led to an increase in cardiac output and