Researchers Assess Reindeer Herders’ Cold Climate Adaptations

American and Finnish researchers are collaborating across borders to explore the metabolic conditions of reindeer herders, compared to office workers.

Cara Ocobock, a professor and researcher at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, United States, visited Dr. Minna Turunen and Dr. Päivi Soppela at the Arctic Centre, University of Lapland last October.

The group is collaborating with prof. Karl-Heinz Herzig and PhD student Ville Stenbäckat the University of Oulu on a research project: How cold climate adaptations may affect metabolic health variation among reindeer herders and office workers in Finland.

In short, they are seeking to understand how reindeer herders manage the physical activity associated with herding in a cold Northern environment and how the herders compare to people working at more sedentary office jobs in climate-controlled spaces.

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