One Cool Guy: Scientific Contributions of John Hayward, Cold Water Pioneer

• Published in: Wilderness & environmental medicine 2023-06, Vol.34 (2), p.243-252
• Main Authors: Leclerc, Curtis, Giesbrecht, Gordon G.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Body Temperature; Body Temperature Regulation - physiology; Child; cold shock response; Cold Temperature; Humans; hypothermia; Hypothermia - prevention & control; Immersion; Male; Rewarming; survival prediction; thermal protection garments; Water
• ISSN: 1080-6032; 1545-1534
• DOI: 10.1016/j.wem.2023.04.001

John Hayward, PhD (1937–2012), was an early and significant contributor to the understanding of cold water immersion physiology and survival. This article summarizes his work on the 50th anniversary of his first publication in this area. He described areas of high heat loss and emphasized the importance of protecting these areas during cold exposure using the Heat Escape Lessening Posture (HELP) and the potential for heat donation to these areas during rewarming. He described several factors that affect the rate of core cooling, including body composition, behavior (swimming increases cooling whereas the HELP position decreases cooling), wet and wind, and thermal protective garments (dry suits offered much more protection than wet suits). Hayward determined breath-hold duration in children as young as 4 y and had his own heart catheterized for 3 d to complete 3 hypothermia rewarming trials. His work provided early understanding of the cold shock response and ways to mitigate its threat to survival. Hayward provided valuable contributions to prediction models for heat production, heat loss, and core cooling rates in cold water. He also developed a human model for severe hypothermia and patented the UVic Thermofloat Jacket. Finally, as evidence of his stature in the cold physiology community, Hayward was a coauthor of the initial State of Alaska guidelines for the treatment of hypothermia. John Hayward was truly a cold water pioneer.