Mike Tipton on how our bodies respond to extreme conditions
The Life Scientific
BBC
4.6 • 1.4K Ratings
🗓️ 25 May 2021
⏱️ 33 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
As the craze for cold water swimming continues, Jim Al Khalili talks to triathlete and Professor of Extreme Physiology, Mike Tipton. Is it as good for our mental and physical health as many enthusiasts claim? And do the benefits go beyond a rush of adrenaline causing feel good endorphins to be released in our brains?
Mike studies why people drown. He wants to understand the precise physiological changes that occur when we expose ourselves to extreme environments and to use that information to help save lives. (Shivering and sweating will only get you so far when it comes to temperature control).
Most deaths at sea are caused by the initial cold water shock response, not hypothermia. People gasp for air and swallow lethal quantities of water. So is it a case of kill or cure for cold water swimmers?
What does the scientific evidence say about the idea that repeated cold water immersion can boost our immunity and have an anti-inflammatory effect?
Mike tells Jim how he came to specialise in this area of science and why he believes we should all be challenging our bodies more.
Producer: Anna Buckley
Transcript
Click on a timestamp to play from that location
| 0:00.0 | Before you listen to this BBC podcast, I'd like to introduce myself. |
| 0:03.7 | My name's Stevie Middleton and I'm a BBC Commissioner for a Load of Sport Podcasts. |
| 0:08.4 | I'm lucky to do that at the BBC because I get to work with a leading journalist, experienced |
| 0:12.2 | pundits and the biggest sport stars. |
| 0:14.3 | Together we bring you untold stories and fascinating insights straight from the players' |
| 0:18.5 | mouths. |
| 0:19.5 | But the best thing about doing this at the BBC is our unique access to the sport in world. |
| 0:25.0 | What that means is that we can bring you podcasts that create a real connection to |
| 0:28.8 | dedicated sports fans across the UK. |
| 0:31.2 | So if you like this podcast, head over to BBC Sounds where you'll find plenty more. |
| 0:35.2 | BBC Sounds, Music, Radio, Podcasts. |
| 0:40.8 | Hello, I'm Jim Arkelyley and this is the Life Scientific. |
| 0:44.9 | The deal is I get to talk to some of the amazing men and women who are trying to understand |
| 0:49.4 | our world and to make it a better place, and you get to find out what makes them get |
| 0:54.0 | out of bed in the morning. |
| 0:56.2 | As more and more people seem to be deciding that swimming outdoors, in water that in my |
| 1:01.5 | opinion is ridiculously cold, is somehow good for them, I was delighted to find a scientist |
| 1:07.4 | who spent many years immersing people in cold water to understand the physiological changes |
| 1:12.8 | that take place when our bodies are challenged in this way, Professor Mike Tipton. |
| 1:18.2 | Mike's experiments radically changed our understanding of why people drown in cold |
| 1:22.3 | water. |
| 1:23.3 | He's worked closely with the Royal National Lifeboat Institution for a number of years, |
... |
Please login to see the full transcript.
Disclaimer: The podcast and artwork embedded on this page are from BBC, and are the property of its owner and not affiliated with or endorsed by Tapesearch.
Generated transcripts are the property of BBC and are distributed freely under the Fair Use doctrine. Transcripts generated by Tapesearch are not guaranteed to be accurate.
Copyright © Tapesearch 2026.