DIFFERENT THERMAL CONDITIONS OF THE EXTREMITIES AFFECT THERMOREGULATION IN CLOTHED MAN

The effects of different types of clothing on human deep body temperat ure were studied with six healthy male subjects in a supine posture. T wo clothing ensembles were employed for the present study: A covered t he whole body area with garments except the face (1.97 do) and B cover ed only the trunk and the upper half of the extremities with garments (1.53 do). The experiment was carried out in a climatic chamber at 55% +/-5% relative humidity under cooling and warming temperatures: the te mperature was changed from 22 degrees C to 10 degrees C (cooling) and returned to 22 degrees C again (warming). The major findings were: rec tal temperature (T-re) continued to decrease gradually in A throughout the experiment, whereas in B it increased during cooling, and returne d to previous levels during warming. As a result, T-re and chest skin temperature were maintained at a higher level in B than in A. Internal tissue conductances were greater in A than in B both during cooling a nd during warming. Thermal comfort appeared to have been influenced mo re by the rate of skin temperature change than by the level of skin te mperature per se. It was concluded that peripheral vasoconstriction in B induced less heat flow from core to shell, and, thus, the core temp erature was maintained at a higher level in B than in A.