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Cited by 146Thermoregulation and physiological responsesCardiovascular and exercise physiologyEffects of Environmental Stressors on Livestock

Relevance of individual characteristics for human heat stress response is dependent on exercise intensity and climate type

Havenith, George, Coenen, John M. L., Kistemaker, Lyda, Kenney, W. Larry·1998·European Journal of Applied Physiology
DOI 10.1007/s004210050327
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Abstract

Multiple heterogeneous groups of subjects (both sexes and a wide range of maximal oxygen uptake VO2max, body mass, body surface area (AD),% body fat, and AD/mass coefficient) exercised on a cycle ergometer at a relative (%VO2max, REL) or an absolute (60 W) exercise intensity in a cool (CO 21 degrees C, 50% relative humidity), warm humid (WH 35 degrees C, 80%) and a hot dry (HD 45 degrees C, 20%) environment. Rectal temperature (Tre) responses were analysed for the influence of the individual's characteristics, environment and exercise intensity. Exposures consisted of 30-min rest, followed by 60-min exercise. The Tre was negatively correlated with mass in all conditions. Body mass acted as a passive heat sink in all the conditions tested. While negatively correlated with VO2max and VO2max per kilogram body mass in most climates, Tre was positively correlated with VO2max and VO2max per kilogram body mass in the WH/REL condition. Thus, when evaporative heat loss was limited as in WH, the higher heat production of the fitter subjects in the REL trials determined Tre and not the greater efficiency for heat loss associated with high VO2max. Body fatness significantly affected Tre only in the CO condition, where, with low skin blood flows (measured as increases in forearm blood flow), the insulative effect of fat was pronounced. In the warmer environments, high skin blood flows offset the resistance offered by peripheral adipose tissue. Contrary to other studies, Tre was positively correlated with AD/mass coefficient for all conditions tested. For both exercise types used, being big (a high heat loss area and heat capacity) was apparently more beneficial from a heat strain standpoint than having a favourable AD/mass coefficient (high in small subjects). The total amount of variance in Tre responses which could be attributed to individual characteristics was dependent on the climate and the type of exercise. Though substantial for absolute exercise intensities (52%-58%) the variance explained in Tre differed markedly for relative intensities: 72% for the WH climate with its limited evaporative capacity, and only 10%-26% for the HD and CO climates. The results showed that individual characteristics play a significant role in determining the responses of body core temperature in all conditions tested, but their contribution was low for relative exercise intensities when evaporative heat loss was not restricted. This study demonstrated that effects of individual characteristics on human responses to heat stress cannot be interpreted without taking into consideration both the heat transfer properties of the environment and the metabolic heat production resulting from the exercise type and intensity chosen. Their impact varies substantially among conditions.

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  • Without monitoring of workers' physiological response and actual metabolic rate, it is impossible to account for these factors and their impact on workers.

    “Without monitoring of workers’ physiological response and actual metabolic rate, it is impossible to account for these factors and their impact on workers (Havenith and van Middendorp, 1990; Havenith et al., 1998; Havenith et al., 2002).”

    From Assessment of Heat Stress Exposure among Construction Workers in the Hot Desert Climate of Saudi Arabia (2019) · cites this paper as Havenith et al., 1998

  • Other studies have shown no effect of body fat percentage on heat loss and/or body temperature, which the authors have attributed to high skin blood flow in heat and exercise.

    “However, other studies have shown no effect of body fat percentage on heat loss and/or body temperature, which the authors have attributed to high skin blood flow in heat and exercise [72–74].”

    From Drivers of diversity in human thermal perception – A review for holistic comfort models (2018) · cites this paper as [72]

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Related

Authors
Havenith, G., Coenen, J. M. L., Kistemaker, L., & Kenney, W. L.
Affiliations
  • Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research (NL)
  • Pennsylvania State University (US)
ORCID
Venue
European Journal of Applied Physiology
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
1998-02-01
Volume
77
Issue
3
Pages
231-241
ISSN
  • 0020-9376 (ISSN-L)
  • 1439-6319
  • 1439-6327
DOI
10.1007/s004210050327
OpenAlex
W2088876427
Cited by
146
References
28
Citations by year
2026: 6 · 2025: 5 · 2024: 9 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 9 · 2021: 9 · 2020: 10 · 2019: 10 · 2018: 6 · 2017: 7 · 2016: 8 · 2015: 8 · 2014: 8 · 2013: 5 · 2012: 6
FWCI
1.22
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
closed
Licence
www.springer.com/tdm (tdm)
Locations
  • European Journal of Applied Physiology (publishedVersion)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Topics
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Thermoregulation and physiological responses
  • Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
  • Life Sciences › Agricultural and Biological Sciences › Animal Science and Zoology › Effects of Environmental Stressors on Livestock
Keywords
heat stress, rectal temperature, individual differences, body mass, fat mass, body surface area, body mass index, VO2max, exercise intensity, relative exercise intensity, hot and humid climate, hot arid climate, evaporative heat loss, skin blood flow, heat capacity, thermogenesis, thermoregulation, heat strain, cycle ergometry
MeSH terms
Adipose Tissue, Body Composition, Body Surface Area, Body Temperature, Body Temperature Regulation, Climate, Female, Humans, Humidity, Male, Oxygen Consumption, Regression Analysis, Exercise, Heat Stress Disorders

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