PDF(Pubmed)
Abstract：
Introduction: Unassisted rowing across the Atlantic Ocean is an extreme undertaking challenging the human body in every possible way. The reported rowing journey lasted for 42 days in a small vessel with 12 rowers, each rowing for 12 h a day, broken into 3 h shifts. This schedule disrupts the natural circadian cycle and autonomic balance, affecting subjective and objective wellbeing and sleep quality, that lack continuous empirical quantification. Methods: With a self-reported questionnaire and objective heart rate variability measurements every second day in a single female rower, we monitor evolutions of the subjective sleep quality and mental wellbeing as well as autonomic body control over the journey duration. We evaluate the hypothesis that extreme rowing impairs subjective and objective data in a similar way over time and that 3 h shifts diminish the circadian rhythm of the autonomic body control. Results: The sleep quality was mainly influenced by wake ups during sleep, while mental wellbeing was predominantly influenced by physical exhaustion. The perceived sleep quality and wellbeing dropped 2-3 days after the start with the rower not yet accommodated, in the middle of the journey with major wake ups, and again 5-6 days prior to the end with major exhaustion of the participant. Evolutions of the subjective perceptions diverge from that of the heart rate variability. The body\'s autonomic recovery during short sleep periods progressively decreases over the journey duration while the vagal activity rises and the sympathovagal balance shifts towards vagal tone. The shifts of 3 h weaken the circadian rhythm of the heart rate variability. Discussion: Our results demonstrate how human body meets extreme mental and physical exhaustion on the high seas. The gained physiological and psychological insights also offer a basis for effective preparation of undertakings involving extreme physical exhaustion and sleep deprivation.
摘要：
无辅助划船横渡大西洋是一项以各种可能的方式挑战人体的极端事业。报道的划船旅程在一艘有12名划船者的小船上持续了42天，每天划船12小时，分成3小时班次。这个时间表破坏了自然的昼夜节律周期和自主平衡，影响主客观健康和睡眠质量，缺乏持续的经验量化。方法：在一名女性赛艇运动员中，每隔一天进行一次自我报告的问卷和客观的心率变异性测量，我们监测主观睡眠质量和精神健康以及自主身体控制在旅途中的演变。我们评估了以下假设：极端划船会随着时间的推移以类似的方式损害主观和客观数据，并且3小时的变化会减少自主神经控制的昼夜节律。结果:睡眠质量主要受睡眠时觉醒的影响,而精神健康主要受到身体疲惫的影响。开始后2-3天，赛艇运动员的睡眠质量和健康状况下降，在旅途中，伴随着重大的觉醒，并在结束前5-6天再次与参与者的主要疲惫。主观感知的演变与心率变异性的演变不同。在短暂睡眠期间，身体的自主神经恢复在整个旅程中逐渐减少，而迷走神经活动上升，交感迷走神经平衡向迷走神经张力转变。3h的变化削弱了心率变异性的昼夜节律。讨论：我们的结果证明了人体如何在公海上遇到极端的精神和身体疲惫。获得的生理和心理见解也为有效准备涉及极端身体疲惫和睡眠剥夺的事业提供了基础。
