When she entered the cave, she was 48. The next two birthdays she celebrated inside a cave. With little contact with the outside world, a now 50-year-old Spanish extreme athlete completed a 500-day challenge in which she lived 230 feet deep in a cave outside of Granada city in Spain. Elite mountaineer Beatriz Flamini smiled as she acclimated to the springtime light in southern Spain. Speaking to the media present there, she said time had gone by fast and she did not want to come out.

"When they came in to get me, I was asleep. I thought something had happened. I said: 'Already? Surely not.' I hadn't finished my book," she said.

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According to Flamini's support team, she broke the world record for the longest period of time spent in a cave during an experiment that was observed by scientists looking at the human brain and circadian rhythms.

Many historic events have gone by in the time the athlete spent inside the cave. Before the Ukraine War broke out, Spain's COVID mask law came to an end, and Britain's Queen Elizabeth II passed away, Flamini set off on her adventure on Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021.

Her team said that she did emerge for eight days, but she remained sequestered in a tent as they worked to fix the router that allowed her to communicate with them through voice and video.&nbsp;

About pressing her panic button, she said, "Never. In fact I didn't want to come out."

Flamini worked out, painted and knitted wool caps while she was underground. According to her support crew, she brought two GoPro cameras to record her journey and consumed 1,000 litres of water. She took 60 books with her when she entered.&nbsp;

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"On day 65, I stopped counting and lost perception of time," she said.&nbsp;She said that her attention had been on maintaining "coherence," eating healthily, and savouring the stillness. She eagerly anticipated the delicacies like avocados, fresh eggs, and clean t-shirts that her support crew sent down before acting "like gods." They took care of her waste too.&nbsp;

"I didn't talk to myself out loud, but I had internal conversations and got on very well with myself," she joked.

"You have to remain conscious of your feelings. If you're afraid, that's something natural but never let panic in or you get paralysed."

"If it's no communication it's no communication regardless of the circumstances. The people who know me knew and respected that."

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She said that under no circumstances, not even in the event of a family death, should her staff get in touch with her. A team of psychologists, scientists, cave experts, and physical trainers kept an eye on Flamini to gain knowledge on how social isolation may influence time, sleep, and brain processes.

Flamini has not yet decided on further climbing and caving initiatives. She said she would allow doctors to examine her body and mind.

Earlier, 33 Chilean and Bolivian miners who were buried for 69 days and 688 metres (2,257 feet) below in 2010 were given the title of "longest time survived trapped underground" by the Guinness Book of Records website. It is unclear if that record is broken or there is a new record Flamini has set by living in isolation inside the cave for 500 days.&nbsp; 
 
(With inputs from agencies) 
 
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When she entered the cave, she was 48. The next two birthdays she celebrated inside a cave. With little contact with the outside world, a now 50-year-old Spanish extreme athlete completed a 500-day challenge in which she lived 230 feet deep in a cave outside of Granada city in Spain.

When she entered the cave, she was 48. The next two birthdays she celebrated inside a cave. With little contact with the outside world, a now 50-year-old Spanish extreme athlete completed a 500-day challenge in which she lived 230 feet deep in a cave outside of Granada city in Spain. Elite mountaineer Beatriz Flamini smiled as she acclimated to the springtime light in southern Spain. Speaking to the media present there, she said time had gone by fast and she did not want to come out. "When they came in to get me, I was asleep. I thought something had happened. I said: 'Already? Surely not.' I hadn't finished my book," she said. ALSO READ | Putin approves electronic call-up bill, clamps down on Russians who dodge military service According to Flamini's support team, she broke the world record for the longest period of time spent in a cave during an experiment that was observed by scientists looking at the human brain and circadian rhythms. Many historic events have gone by in the time the athlete spent inside the cave. Before the Ukraine War broke out, Spain's COVID mask law came to an end, and Britain's Queen Elizabeth II passed away, Flamini set off on her adventure on Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021. Her team said that she did emerge for eight days, but she remained sequestered in a tent as they worked to fix the router that allowed her to communicate with them through voice and video. About pressing her panic button, she said, "Never. In fact I didn't want to come out." Flamini worked out, painted and knitted wool caps while she was underground. According to her support crew, she brought two GoPro cameras to record her journey and consumed 1,000 litres of water. She took 60 books with her when she entered. Also Read | Pentagon leak: US President Biden says investigation will examine why leaker had classified access "On day 65, I stopped counting and lost perception of time," she said. She said that her attention had been on maintaining "coherence," eating healthily, and savouring the stillness. She eagerly anticipated the delicacies like avocados, fresh eggs, and clean t-shirts that her support crew sent down before acting "like gods." They took care of her waste too. "I didn't talk to myself out loud, but I had internal conversations and got on very well with myself," she joked. "You have to remain conscious of your feelings. If you're afraid, that's something natural but never let panic in or you get paralysed." "If it's no communication it's no communication regardless of the circumstances. The people who know me knew and respected that." Watch | Macron's pension reform gets constitutional green light despite raging protests × She said that under no circumstances, not even in the event of a family death, should her staff get in touch with her. A team of psychologists, scientists, cave experts, and physical trainers kept an eye on Flamini to gain knowledge on how social isolation may influence time, sleep, and brain processes. Flamini has not yet decided on further climbing and caving initiatives. She said she would allow doctors to examine her body and mind. Earlier, 33 Chilean and Bolivian miners who were buried for 69 days and 688 metres (2,257 feet) below in 2010 were given the title of "longest time survived trapped underground" by the Guinness Book of Records website. It is unclear if that record is broken or there is a new record Flamini has set by living in isolation inside the cave for 500 days. (With inputs from agencies) WATCH WION LIVE HERE You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.

Extreme experiment: A 50-year-old Spanish athlete emerges out of cave after 500 days

A recent study headed by York University researchers discovered a relationship between shift work and frailty among middle-aged and older employees in Canada, particularly among women on rotating hours. While there is a large body of research suggesting the disruptions to circadian rhythms that shift workers experience are linked to various illnesses, this study was the first to take a comprehensive or “holistic” look at the connection between shift work and frailty.

“We cannot ignore the negative health outcomes related to shift work, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, stroke and certain cancers,” says York Faculty of Health PhD student Durdana Khan, a trainee with the York Centre for Aging and Research and Education. “Our study is the first to investigate the relationship between shift work and frailty for middle-aged and older adults.”

For the study, which will be published in the May edition of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Khan, along with York professors Heather Edgell, Hala Tamim and Michael Rotondi, and immunologist and epidemiologist Chris Verschoor of the Health Sciences North Research Institute, looked at 48,000 participants across Canada from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging and followed up at three years to measure for frailty.

Frailty is defined as someone’s likelihood towards disease and death. The researchers used an index that looks at 52 factors that can likely lower lifespan, including depression, osteoarthritis, history of heart attacks and mobility issues. Mildly frail people are considered those that have at least five factors. Having at least 11 factors would put people in the ‘very frail’ category.

The study found one in five adult Canadians was involved in shift work, defined as work that falls outside of a nine-to-five schedule. People who had a history of shift work had a higher likelihood of frailty compared to people who only worked daytime hours. More than one in four were found to be mildly frail, and seven per cent were very frail. Women whose longest job consisted of rotating shift work were especially likely to be considered frail, with more than 31 per cent falling in the mildly frail category and nearly 11 per cent classified as very frail.

Circadian rhythms are moderated by sunlight exposure. When sunlight hits the eyes, signals are sent to the pineal gland in the brain – triggering certain hormones and responses that regulate alertness, mood and appetite, and a lack of light sets off other responses. In shift workers, this process is dysregulated, and research suggests this disruption can contribute to a host of health issues.

“Although these findings are preliminary, they suggest that circadian disruption may play an important role in frailty, and this warrants further investigation,” says Khan.

This latest study builds on Khan and Edgell’s earlier research that suggests that shift work may be linked to delayed menopause.

“The circadian rhythm influences your brain’s ability to control your hormones, which can influence your menopause,” explains Edgell. “So, there are a lot of physiological changes that can occur because of shift work.”

While women were more likely to be frail, health research overall shows women to be more resilient to succumbing to disease than men, so this study does not necessarily suggest higher mortality. Still, it does point to sex-based differences that would be important to consider as more women do work outside a nine-to-five schedule, says Khan, who adds that keeping on top of exercise and nutrition can combat some of the negative effects.

“We can’t make shift work go away, but we can reverse frailty to a degree,” she concludes.&nbsp;

A recent study headed by York University researchers discovered a relationship between shift work and frailty among middle-aged and older employees in Canada, particularly among women on rotating hours.

A recent study headed by York University researchers discovered a relationship between shift work and frailty among middle-aged and older employees in Canada, particularly among women on rotating hours. While there is a large body of research suggesting the disruptions to circadian rhythms that shift workers experience are linked to various illnesses, this study was the first to take a comprehensive or “holistic” look at the connection between shift work and frailty. “We cannot ignore the negative health outcomes related to shift work, including cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, stroke and certain cancers,” says York Faculty of Health PhD student Durdana Khan, a trainee with the York Centre for Aging and Research and Education. “Our study is the first to investigate the relationship between shift work and frailty for middle-aged and older adults.” For the study, which will be published in the May edition of the Journal of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Khan, along with York professors Heather Edgell, Hala Tamim and Michael Rotondi, and immunologist and epidemiologist Chris Verschoor of the Health Sciences North Research Institute, looked at 48,000 participants across Canada from the Canadian Longitudinal Study on Aging and followed up at three years to measure for frailty. Frailty is defined as someone’s likelihood towards disease and death. The researchers used an index that looks at 52 factors that can likely lower lifespan, including depression, osteoarthritis, history of heart attacks and mobility issues. Mildly frail people are considered those that have at least five factors. Having at least 11 factors would put people in the ‘very frail’ category. The study found one in five adult Canadians was involved in shift work, defined as work that falls outside of a nine-to-five schedule. People who had a history of shift work had a higher likelihood of frailty compared to people who only worked daytime hours. More than one in four were found to be mildly frail, and seven per cent were very frail. Women whose longest job consisted of rotating shift work were especially likely to be considered frail, with more than 31 per cent falling in the mildly frail category and nearly 11 per cent classified as very frail. Circadian rhythms are moderated by sunlight exposure. When sunlight hits the eyes, signals are sent to the pineal gland in the brain – triggering certain hormones and responses that regulate alertness, mood and appetite, and a lack of light sets off other responses. In shift workers, this process is dysregulated, and research suggests this disruption can contribute to a host of health issues. “Although these findings are preliminary, they suggest that circadian disruption may play an important role in frailty, and this warrants further investigation,” says Khan. This latest study builds on Khan and Edgell’s earlier research that suggests that shift work may be linked to delayed menopause. “The circadian rhythm influences your brain’s ability to control your hormones, which can influence your menopause,” explains Edgell. “So, there are a lot of physiological changes that can occur because of shift work.” While women were more likely to be frail, health research overall shows women to be more resilient to succumbing to disease than men, so this study does not necessarily suggest higher mortality. Still, it does point to sex-based differences that would be important to consider as more women do work outside a nine-to-five schedule, says Khan, who adds that keeping on top of exercise and nutrition can combat some of the negative effects. “We can’t make shift work go away, but we can reverse frailty to a degree,” she concludes.

Women who work in rotating shifts are more likely to be frail: Study

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