The noodlers have succeeded, again, in getting the pool temperature raised to 86 degrees! :bitching: I have sent an e-mail to the American Red Cross, however, the more information I gather, the better! If any of you have any published articles on this topic, I would greatly appreciate it!
Here is the e-mail I sent to the American Red cross:
Hello,
I live in an adult community with an indoor swimming pool. After doing internet research, I am still not sure of a definitive recommendation of appropriate water temperatures for the following:
1. Adults (55 years old or older) swimming laps and/or participating in water aerobics who have high blood pressure or other heart conditions.
2. Adults (55 years old or older) swimming laps and/or participating in water aerobics who have diabetes.
In addition, what is the recommended air temperature and humidity percentage for an indoor pool?
The pool temperature in our community was raised from 84 to 86, so I am trying to build a case for lowering the temperature to suit the needs of the majority of our residents. And, it is my guess that most of the residents using the pool have either high blood pressure, other heart conditions, diabetes, or other health conditions making it a health risk to exercise in 86 degree water.
Any assistance and documentation you can provide would be most appreciated!
Thank you very much,
Elaine Krugman
Thanks, Forumites, for any documentation you send my way! By the way, if you can post links in the forums, perhaps it would help others, as well, who are battling the same issues. If you have articles to send as attachments, please send me a PM and I will provide you my e-mail address.
Thanks!
Elaine
P.S. Anna Lea: If you see this, does USMS have any "official" documentation at your offices?
Regarding the initial question, several years back I called the pool manager at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado to see what studies they had regarding pool tems.
They have nothing published (at least at the time I called), but he chatted about their own findings.
Temps above 84 degrees do not allow a vigorous swimmer to dissipate body heat adequately. So 84 is a magic number in that regard. This forces your heart and lungs to work harder, detracting from your ability to put that energy into your actual workout.
Temps below 76 are generally too cold for aerobic work, and the longer the workout, the more pronounced the effect.
The OTC keeps their pool at 80.1 degrees. The temp is chosen to favor the elite athletes (which is the primary demographic that uses the pool anyway.) Those athletes have very low body fat, and their workouts often span extended durations. They can't maintain proper body heat after several hours in water below 80. So the facility has settled on 80.1.
YMCAs and other general use pools fight the eternal battle for a water temp that satisfies the largest segment of members. The battle is easier when several pools are in play. (A lot of YMCAs have a lap pool as well as a smaller "instructional pool" that's usually 10-15 yards in length. The downtowm facility I mentioned earlier that keeps the lap pool at 82 also has an instructional pool, and they keep that at 87-90. And most of the low-energy aerobic and noodling classes are done there.)
When a pool needs to service a broad range of interests, someone is always going to be unhappy.
Regarding the initial question, several years back I called the pool manager at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado to see what studies they had regarding pool tems.
They have nothing published (at least at the time I called), but he chatted about their own findings.
Temps above 84 degrees do not allow a vigorous swimmer to dissipate body heat adequately. So 84 is a magic number in that regard. This forces your heart and lungs to work harder, detracting from your ability to put that energy into your actual workout.
Temps below 76 are generally too cold for aerobic work, and the longer the workout, the more pronounced the effect.
The OTC keeps their pool at 80.1 degrees. The temp is chosen to favor the elite athletes (which is the primary demographic that uses the pool anyway.) Those athletes have very low body fat, and their workouts often span extended durations. They can't maintain proper body heat after several hours in water below 80. So the facility has settled on 80.1.
YMCAs and other general use pools fight the eternal battle for a water temp that satisfies the largest segment of members. The battle is easier when several pools are in play. (A lot of YMCAs have a lap pool as well as a smaller "instructional pool" that's usually 10-15 yards in length. The downtowm facility I mentioned earlier that keeps the lap pool at 82 also has an instructional pool, and they keep that at 87-90. And most of the low-energy aerobic and noodling classes are done there.)
When a pool needs to service a broad range of interests, someone is always going to be unhappy.
