Biological and Analytical Variation of the Human Sweating Response: Implications for Study Design and Analysis

Abstract

Appropriate quantification of analytical and biological variation of thermoregulatory sweating has important practical utility for research design and statistical analysis. We sought to examine contributors to variability in local forearm sweating rate (SR) and sweating onset (SO) and to evaluate the potential for using bilateral measurements. Two women and eight men (26 +/- 9 yr; 79 +/- 12 kg) completed 5 days of heat acclimation and walked (1.8 1/min VO2) on three occasions for 30 min in 40 deg C, 20% RH, while local SR and SO were measured. Local SR measures among days were not different (2.14 +/- 0.72 vs. 2.02 +/- 0.79 vs. 2.31 +/- 0.72 mg x sq cm x min(-1), P = 0.19) nor was SO (10.47 +/- 2.54 vs. 10.04 +/- 2.97 vs. 9.87 +/- 3.44 min, P = 0.82). Bilateral SR (2.14 +/- 0.72 vs. 2.16 +/- 0.71 mg x sq cm x min(-1), P = 0.56) and SO (10.47 +/- 2.54 vs. 10.83 +/- 2.48 min, P = 0.09) were similar and differences were 1 SD of day-to-day differences for a single forearm. Analytical imprecision (CVa), within (CVi)-, and between (CVg)-subjects' coefficient of variation for local SR were 2.4%, 22.3%, and 56.4%, respectively, and were 0%, 9.6%, and 41%, respectively, for SO. We conclude: 1) technologically, sweat capsules contribute negligibly to sweat measurement variation; 2) bilateral measures of SR and SO appear interchangeable; 3) when studying potential factors affecting sweating, changes in SO afford a more favorable signal-to-noise ratio vs. changes in SR. These findings provide a quantitative basis for study design and optimization of power/sample size analysis in the evaluation of thermoregulatory sweating.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2012
Accession Number
ADA557942

Entities

People

  • Brett R Ely
  • Leonard D. Elliott
  • Michael N. Sawka
  • Robert W. Kenefick
  • Samuel N. Cheuvront

Organizations

  • United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Acclimatization
  • Body Temperature
  • Circadian Rhythms
  • Data Science
  • Dehydration
  • Dermatologic Agents
  • Environment
  • Experimental Design
  • Heat Energy
  • High Altitude
  • Information Science
  • Measurement
  • Physiology
  • Statistical Analysis
  • Steady State
  • Sweat Glands
  • Vapor Pressure

Readers

  • Exercise and Sports Science.
  • Mathematics or Statistics
  • Theoretical Analysis.