Dr Mike Stembridge, Cardiff School of Sport and Health Sciences, Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff, UK
Griffith Pugh (1909 –1994) was an exercise and environmental physiologist. He specialised in human adaptation to extreme environments; whether that be hot, cold, wet, dry, at sea level or high altitude. He undertook painstaking field research with the same meticulous precision expected in the laboratory, and did so to address and overcome real-world problems.
Studying the limits of human physiology
Pugh’s most high-profile contribution was his acclimatisation strategies for high altitude. In the early 1900s, some mountaineers believed that the best way to ascend a mountain was to get up and down as quickly as possible. This was based on the logic that the longer an expedition took, the greater the climber’s risk of deteriorating from hypoxia. They assumed that they would be physically worse off on the day they planned to climb the summit, unless they tackled it in the shortest time frame possible .
However, Pugh realised that humans could live relatively comfortably up to ~5000m, and that more time spent acclimatising at this altitude was beneficial when you went above 6000m. Pugh insisted on strict hydration strategies to counter the haemoconcentration (an increase in the proportion of red cells in the blood) that occurs at high altitude. He also devised the concentration of supplementary oxygen a person would need to inhale to be physically active at higher altitudes.
Acclimatising to extreme altitudes and environments
Pugh’s research on the effects of altitude on sporting performance were commissioned by the British Olympic Association, who wanted to ease athletes’ fears about the safety of competing in the 1968 Mexico City Olympics because of its altitude of 2270m. Pugh applied his tried and tested combination of laboratory and field research on six of the UK’s best endurance athletes. The athletes completed time trials over various distances at sea level to determine baseline performance, and then repeated the trials on multiple occasions after arrival in Mexico City.
Pugh showed that altitude decreased performance by as much as 8%, but the athletes made improvements the longer they spent at 2270m. This work paved the way for more recent research that has finetuned the way athletes prepare for competition at high altitude, whether that be an international rugby union tour like the British and Irish Lions tour of South Africa, or international football in the South American Andes.
Challenging common belief
In contrast to these high-profile mountaineering and sporting endeavours, it is Pugh’s research into accidental hypothermia (unintentional fall in core body temperature below 35°C) that will have influenced the greatest number of people. In the 1960’s, death from accidental hypothermia in the UK was surprisingly frequent. Around 30-60 deaths per year occurred when people were out walking in rural locations in wet and windy conditions. Worryingly, this risk was particularly prevalent in youth populations as the Outward Bounds, Scouts, Girl Guides and Boys Bridge movements began to take off and engaged with the newly formed Duke of Edinburgh Award, encouraging expeditions and outdoor activities.
The early consensus for the root cause focused on mental fragility of the individual and negative character traits such as selfishness, inefficiency, bravado and carelessness. Pugh challenged this, by suggesting that poor clothing along with the combined challenge of wet and windy weather was the principal cause. So, he set about proving it.
Alex Williams (Twitter: @AlexM_Williams, Insta: alexmackphotography)
Finding the root cause of hypothermia
When clothes get wet in windy conditions, their insulative value drops by 90%. When this occurs, the only way to stay warm is to walk faster. However, Pugh found that the majority of people could not sustain a higher pace for long durations and would end up slowing down and getting even colder. His work culminated in the publication of practical recommendations for the prevention and management of hypothermia among hill-walkers that are still used today.
Solving real-word problems
Pugh was a pioneering physiologist who focused his research on practical outcomes that would have a real-world impact. As the majority of current academics are well aware, there is now extensive use of quantitative strategies as a proxy for the scientific productivity, impact, and quality of research publications. Although the strengths and limitations of these approaches are reasonably well known, they are nevertheless commonly employed to provide an objective measure of scientific stature.
Pugh’s legacy should serve as a reminder to us all that whilst not all research needs to lead to a Research Excellence Framework impact case study, the true value of research is to the end-user and not to the metrics we form.
Find out more about Pugh’s work and his role in the first ascent of Mount Everest in this Editorial by Mike Stembridge et al published in The Society’s The Journal of Physiology.
Header image is by Alex Williams (Twitter: @AlexM_Williams, Insta: alexmackphotography)