The effect of seasonal acclimatization on whole-body heat loss response during exercise in a hot humid environment with different air velocity

Seasonal acclimatization from winter to summer is known to enhance thermoeffector responses in hot-dry environments during exercise whilst its impact on sweat evaporation and core temperature (Tcore) responses in hot-humid environments remains unknown. We therefore sought to determine whether seasonal acclimatization is able to modulate whole-body sweat rate (WBSR), evaporated sweat rate, sweating efficiency and thermoregulatory function during cycling exercise in a hot-humid environment (32∘C, 75% RH). We also determined whether the increase in air-velocity, could enhance evaporated sweat rate and sweating efficiency before and after seasonal acclimatization. Twelve males cycled for 1-hour at 40% VO2max in winter (pre-acclimatization) and repeated the trial again in summer (after-acclimatization). For the last 20-min of cycling at a steady-state of Tcore, air-velocity increased from 0.2 (0.04) m/s to 1.1 (0.02) m/s by using an electric fan located in front of the participant. Seasonal acclimatization enhanced WBSR, unevaporated sweat rate, local sweat rate and mean skin temperature compared to pre-acclimatization state (all P<0.05) whilst sweating efficiency was lower (P<0.01) until the 55-min of exercise. Tcore and evaporated sweat rate were unaltered by acclimatization status (all P>0.70). In conclusion, seasonal acclimatization enhances thermoeffector responses but does not attenuate Tcore during exercise in a hot-humid environment. Furthermore, increasing air-velocity enhances evaporated sweat rate and sweating efficiency irrespective of acclimated state.

Sustained increases in skin blood flow are not a prerequisite to initiate sweating during passive heat exposure

Some studies have observed a functional relationship between sweating and skin blood flow. However, the implications of this relationship during physiologically relevant conditions remain unclear. We manipulated sudomotor activity through changes in sweating efficiency to determine if parallel changes in vasomotor activity are observed. Eight young men completed two trials at 36°C and two trials at 42°C. During these trials, air temperature remained constant while ambient vapor pressure increased from 1.6 to 5.6 kPa over 2 h. Forced airflow across the skin was used to create conditions of high (HiSeff) or low (LoSeff) sweating efficiency. Local sweat rate (LSR), local skin blood flow (SkBF), as well as mean skin and esophageal temperatures were measured continuously. It took longer for LSR to increase during HiSeff at 36°C (HiSeff: 99 ± 11 vs. LoSeff: 77 ± 11 min, P < 0.01) and 42°C (HiSeff: 72 ± 16 vs. LoSeff: 51 ± 15 min, P < 0.01). In general, an increase in LSR preceded the increase in SkBF when expressed as ambient vapor pressure and time for all conditions ( P < 0.05). However, both responses were activated at a similar change in mean body temperature (average across all trials, LSR: 0.26 ± 0.15 vs. SkBF: 0.30 ± 0.18°C, P = 0.26). These results demonstrate that altering the point at which LSR is initiated during heat exposure is paralleled by similar shifts for the increase in SkBF. However, local sweat production occurs before an increase in SkBF, suggesting that SkBF is not necessarily a prerequisite for sweating.

Physiologically derived critical evaporative coefficients for protective clothing ensembles

When work is performed in heavy clothing, evaporation of sweat from the skin to the environment is limited by layers of wet clothing and air. The magnitude of decrement in evaporative cooling is a function of the clothing's resistance to permeation of water vapor. A physiological approach has been used to derive effective evaporative coefficients (he) which define this ability to evaporate sweat. We refined this approach by correcting the critical effective evaporative coefficient (K for sweating efficiency (Ke,eta') since only a portion of the sweat produced under such conditions is evaporated through the clothing. Six acclimated men and women walked at 30% maximal O2 consumption (150–200 W.m-2) at a constant dry bulb temperature as ambient water vapor pressure was systematically increased 1 Torr every 10 min. Critical pressure was defined as the partial pressure of water vapor (Pw) at which thermal balance could no longer be maintained and rectal temperature rose sharply. Each test was performed in various clothing ensembles ranging from cotton shirt and pants to “impermeable” suits. This approach was used to derive he by solving the general heat balance equation, M - W +/- (R + C) = w.he.(Psk - Pw), where M is metabolic heat production, W is external work, R is radiant heat exchange, C is convective heat transfer, w is skin wettedness, and Psk is water vapor pressure of fully wet skin.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Influence of air velocity and heat acclimation on human skin wettedness and sweating efficiency

Before and after heat acclimation, four male resting subjects were exposed to humid heat that caused levels of skin wettedness ranging from 50 to 100%. The physical experimental conditions were chosen so that the same skin wettedness was attained with modification of only the ambient water vapor pressure, at two wind speeds (0.6 and 0.9 m . s-1). The esophageal temperature (Tes), mean skin temperature (Tsk), sweating rate (msw), and dripping sweat rate (mdr) were recorded; the amounts of local drippage in the same thermal conditions before and after acclimation were also determined. The relationship between the evaporative efficiency of sweating (eta sw) and the skin wettedness (w) is reported, as is the influence of the subject's acclimation to humid heat on adjustments of skin wettedness. The effects of the air velocity on the coefficient of evaporation and on sweating efficiency are discussed. Beneficial increases in evaporation were achievable by increasing skin wettedness only when there was a consistent drippage, which differed from one body area to another and from one subject to another. The relation of drift in body temperature to skin wettedness changed with the acclimation of the subjects.