Title
Two isothermal challenges yield comparable physiological and subjective responses
Author
Klous, L.
Psikuta, A.
Gijsbertse, K.
Mol, D.
van Schaik, M.
Daanen, H.A.M.
Kingma, B.R.M.
Publication year
2020
Abstract
Purpose: Ventilated vests are developed to reduce thermal stress by enhancing convective and evaporative cooling from skin tissue underneath the vest. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether thermal stress is equal when a ventilated vest is worn compared to a no-vest situation with similar dry thermal resistance. Methods: Nine healthy males walked on a treadmill (7 km h−1) for 45 min in a desert climate (34 °C, 20% relative humidity) with and without ventilated vest. Gastrointestinal temperature (Tgi), heart rate (HR), and skin temperature (Tsk) were continuously monitored. Local sweat rate (LSR) was assessed two times on six skin locations. Subjective ratings were assessed every 10 min. Results: Final Tgi (37.6 ± 0.1 °C for vest and 37.6 ± 0.1 °C for no-vest), HR (133 ± 7 bpm and 133 ± 9 bpm) and mean Tsk (34.8 ± 0.7 °C and 34.9 ± 0.6 °C) were not different between conditions (p ≥ 0.163). Scapula skin temperature (Tscapula) under the vest tended to be lower (baseline to final: ΔTscapula = 0.35 ± 0.37 °C) than without vest (ΔTscapula = 0.74 ± 0.62 °C, p = 0.096). LSR at locations outside the vest did not differ with and without vest (p ≥ 0.271). Likewise, subjective responses did not differ between conditions (χ2 ≥ 0.143). Conclusions: We conclude that two systems with similar dry thermal resistance and, therefore, similar required evaporation, resulted in similar thermal stress during paced walking in a hot-dry environment. Local ventilation did not alter the sweating response on locations outside the vest. © 2020, The Author(s).
Subject
Local sweat rate
Thermal resistance
Thermal stress
Ventilated vest
Human
TPI - Training & Performance Innovations
BSS - Behavioural and Societal Sciences
To reference this document use:
http://resolver.tudelft.nl/uuid:03579a4c-cba8-49e9-8ab4-5a89c66e4192
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-020-04494-3
TNO identifier
882196
Source
European Journal of Applied Physiology, 120 (120), 2761-2772
Document type
article