Influence of Body Mass, Morphology and Gender on Thermal Responses During Immersion in Cold Water
Abstract
This report primarily focuses on the influence of body mass, morphology and gender on thermal and metabolic responses during both rest and exercise after cold-water exposure. A group of male and female subjects (n=4 each) were evaluated that had similar (P<0.05) percent body fat and total skinfold, but differed (P<0.05) in weight, lean body weight, limb divided by trunk skinfold, surface area A sub D and surface area-to-mass ratio (A sub D/wt. ). During both rest and exercise, testing was conducted at three water temperatures (20, 24 and 28 C) for 1-h. Rectal temperature (T sub re), mean- weighted skin temperature (T sub sk) and metabolic rate (M) were monitored during both rest and exercise. In a second series of experiments, metabolic and thermoregulatory responses of male volunteers differing in body morphology and mass during rest and exercise in water at 26 C were evaluated for 1-h duration. Similar thermoregulatory and metabolic responses were evaluated in these experiments as described above with the addition of esophageal temperature (T sub es) and tissue insulation. In conclusion, when these findings were taken collectively, it would appear that water temperature, body mass, and the exercise type and intensity are more critical factors to be considered in preventing a decline in deep body temperature during cold-water immersion than body fat, surface area-to-mass ratio and gender. We believe, however, that this conclusion is more applicable to individuals at exercise rather than rest during cold-water immersion.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Aug 01, 1986
- Accession Number
- ADA172443
Entities
People
- John R. Magel
- Kent B. Pandolf
- Michael M. Toner
- Michael N. Sawka
- William D. Mcardle
Organizations
- United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine