Sh. Boutcher et al., FOREHEAD SKIN TEMPERATURE AND THERMAL SENSATION DURING EXERCISE IN COOL AND THERMONEUTRAL ENVIRONMENTS, Aviation, space, and environmental medicine, 66(11), 1995, pp. 1058-1062
Background: The influence of forehead and mean skin temperature on the
rmal sensation during exercise in hot, cool, and thermoneutral environ
ments is unclear. Hypothesis: We hypothesized that forehead temperatur
e, in contrast to other skin sites, would contribute significantly to
thermal sensation during exercise in hot, cool, and thermoneutral envi
ronments. Method: Volunteer males (N = 14) performed 30 min of constan
t load exercise on a cycle ergometer during which thermal sensation, s
kin and rectal temperatures, and heart rate were collected. Each subje
ct participated in a control (24 degrees C), hot (40 degrees C), and c
ool (8 degrees C) condition. Results: Significantly higher mean skin t
emperatures occurred during exercise in the hot condition ((M) under b
ar = 37.22 +/- 0.20 degrees C) compared to exercise in the neutral ((M
) under bar = 33.34 +/- 0.51 degrees C) and cool conditions ((M) under
bar = 27.92 +/- 0.22 degrees C). Forehead skin temperature in the neu
tral and cool conditions was significantly greater than forearm, hand,
thigh, and calf skin temperatures (p < 0.05). In the hot condition, f
orehead temperature was significantly greater than back, chest, upper
arm, and hand skin temperatures (p < 0.05). in contrast to the neutral
and hot conditions, forehead skin temperature was significantly assoc
iated with thermal sensation during exercise in the cool condition (r
consistently >0.67). Conclusions: We conclude that forehead skin tempe
rature, in contrast to other skin sites, contributed significantly to
thermal sensation during exercise in the cool.