Recent studies using inanimate and animal models suggest that the afterdrop observed upon rewarming from hypothermia is based entirely on physical laws of heat flow without involvement of the returning cooled blood from the limbs. During the investigation of thermoregulatory responses to cold water immersion (15 degrees C), blood flow to the limbs (minimized by the effects of hydrostatic pressure and vasoconstriction) was occluded in 17 male subjects (age, 29.0 +/- 3.3 yr). Comparisons of rectal (Tre) and esophageal temperature (Tes) responses were made during the 5 min before occlusion, during the 10-min occlusion period, and for 5 min immediately after the release of the cuffs (postocclusion). In the preocclusion phase, Tre and Tes showed similar cooling rates. The occlusion of blood flow to the extremities significantly arrested the cooling of Tes (P less than 0.05) with little effect on Tre. Upon release of the pressure cuffs, the returning extremity blood flow resulted in an increased rate of cooling, that was three times greater at the esophageal site (-0:149 +/- 0.052 vs. -0.050 +/- 0.026 degrees C.min-1). These results suggest that the cooled peripheral circulation, minimized during cold water immersion, may dramatically affect esophageal temperature and the complete neglect of the circulatory component to the afterdrop phenomenon is not warranted.