To study relationships between local cold adaptation of the lower limbs and general cold adaptation, eight subjects were submitted both to a cold foot test (CFT, 5 degrees C water immersion, 5 min) and to a whole-body standard cold air test (SCAT, 1 degree C, 2 h, nude at rest) before and after a local cold acclimation (LCA) of the lower limbs effected by repeated cold water immersions. The LCA induced a local cold adaptation confirmed by higher skin temperatures of the lower limbs during CFT and a hypothermic insulative general cold adaptation (decreased rectal temperature and mean skin temperature P < 0.05) without a change either in metabolic heat production or in lower limb skin temperatures during SCAT after LCA. It was concluded that local cold adaptation was related to the habituation process confirmed by decreased plasma concentrations of noradrenaline (NA) during LCA (P < 0.05). However, the hypothermic insulative general cold adaptation was unrelated either to local cold adaptation or to the habituation process, because an increased NA during SCAT after LCA (P < 0.05) was observed but was rather related to a "T3 polar syndrome" occurring during LCA.