Peripheral Sweat Gland Function, but not Whole-Body Sweat Rate, Increases in Women Following Humid Heat Acclimation
Abstract
This study was conducted to compare the whole-body and peripheral sweat rates of men versus women following humid heat acclimation. Thirteen male and twenty female volunteers participated in this study, which consisted of 2 h of exercise in a thermal environment of 35 deg C and 75% relative humidity for 8 consecutive days. All trials consisted of four 25-min exercise intervals with 5 min of seated rest. The four exercise intervals consisted of two bouts of treadmill walking (3 mph, 3% grade) and two bouts of cycle ergometry (power output of 60 W). Heart rate and core temperature were measured each minute during the trials and whole-body sweat rate was calculated. On days 1, 4, and 8 peripheral sweat production was induced via pilocarpine iontophoresis on the flexor surface of both forearms. Mean rectal temperature and heart rate were significantly reduced in both men and women following the heat acclimation. Whole-body sweat rate was significantly increased 20% in men following heat acclimation, but was essentially unchanged in women. The results suggest that humid heat acclimation improves peripheral sweat gland function in both men and women. However, increased peripheral sweat capacity in women is suppressed via either pre- or post-glandular mechanisms, thus limiting wasteful sweat production.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2009
- Accession Number
- ADA540259
Entities
People
- Jay H. Heaney
- Michael J. Buono
- Sandra L. Martha
Organizations
- Naval Health Research Center