Responses of Obese and Lean Girls Exercising under Heat and Thermoneutral Conditions
Abstract
Objective To compare thermoregulatory and perceptual responses between lean and obese girls during and after exercise under heat (HC) and thermoneutral (TC) conditions.Study design In a randomized order, 27 girls (14 lean [16.6 ± 6.7% fat and 9.1 ± 1.3 years] and 13 obese [41.3 ± 6.7% fat and 9.4 ± 1.1 years]) cycled 30 minutes at ~55% peak oxygen uptake in 2 sessions, which only differed in the thermal conditions (35 °C and 40% relative humidity vs 24 °C and 50% relative humidity).Results Initial rectal temperature (T(re)) was higher in obese versus lean during HC (37.5 ± 0.3 °C vs 37.3 ± 0.3 °C, P = .03) and TC (37.6 ± 0.3 °C vs 37.3 ± 0.2 °C; P = .03) sessions. During cycling, Tre remained higher in the obese, but the rate of increase was greater in the lean. This change occurred mainly in the HC, when final Tre of the lean surpassed that of the obese (37.8 ± 0.2 vs 38.0 ± 0.2 °C, P = .04). Sweat volume (in mL · m(-2)) was similar between lean and obese in the HC (167 ± 119 and 120 ± 145) and TC (200 ± 196 vs 72 ± 20). Heart rate, rate of perceived exertion, and thermal sensation were similar between groups, independent of the thermal condition. Cycling in HC produced decreased thermal comfort (P = .009) and increased irritation (P = .02) within the lean girls.Conclusion Thermoregulatory and perceptual responses of prepubescent obese girls during 30 minutes of cycling at a similar relative intensity do not seem to be impaired when comparing with a lean group either in TC or HC.
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Several earlier physiological researches report higher body temperatures in obese individuals when compared with lean counterparts upon heat exposure and exercise.
“Several earlier physiological researches report higher body temperatures in obese individuals when compared with lean counterparts upon heat exposure and exercise [69–71].”
From Drivers of diversity in human thermal perception – A review for holistic comfort models (2018) · cites this paper as [71]
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- Authors
- Leites, G. T., Sehl, P. L., Cunha, G. D. S., Detoni Filho, A., & Meyer, F.
- Affiliations
- Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul (BR)
- Corresponding author
- Leites, Gabriela Tomedi
- Venue
- The Journal of Pediatrics
- Publisher
- Elsevier BV
- Published
- 2013-05
- Volume
- 162
- Issue
- 5
- Pages
- 1054-1060
- ISSN
- 0022-3476 (ISSN-L)
- OpenAlex
- W2019394178
- Cited by
- 42
- References
- 33
- Citations by year
- 2026: 3 · 2024: 1 · 2023: 2 · 2022: 4 · 2021: 2 · 2020: 3 · 2019: 4 · 2018: 5 · 2017: 3 · 2016: 4 · 2015: 4 · 2014: 4 · 2013: 3
- FWCI
- 2.36
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- The Journal of Pediatrics (publishedVersion)
- PubMed (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Physiology › Thermoregulation and physiological responses
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Complementary and alternative medicine › Cardiovascular and exercise physiology
- Health Sciences › Medicine › Orthopedics and Sports Medicine › Sports Performance and Training
- Keywords
- childhood obesity, thermoregulation, heat stress, thermoneutrality, exercise thermoregulation, rectal temperature, sweat loss, thermal comfort, thermal sensation, perceived exertion, heart rate, prepubertal girls, cycling
- MeSH terms
- Body Temperature, Body Temperature Regulation, Child, Female, Hot Temperature, Humans, Obesity, Oxygen Consumption, Thinness, Exercise
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