TRAINING AND ACCLIMATIZATION - EFFECTS ON RESPONSES TO EXERCISE IN A DESERT ENVIRONMENT

  • 1 January 1980
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 51  (2) , 105-112
Abstract
Differences in responses to work in a desert environment among males representing varying levels of acclimatization and physical training were studied. Three groups of subjects were selected: unacclimatized males (UM), .ovrhdot.VO2 max [maximum O2 consumption] = 46.8 ml/kg-1 per min-1; acclimatized males (AM), .ovrhdot.VO2 max = 49.6 ml/kg-1 per min-1 and acclimatized-fit males (AFM) .ovrhdot.VO2 max = 65.8 ml/kg-1 min-1. Each subject sat for 40 min and then walked for 40 min at 3.5 miles/h on a grade which represented his 50% .ovrhdot.VO2 max in a neutral indoor environment (WBGT = 18.1.degree. C) and in a desert (hot, dry and sunny) environment (WBGT = 29.9.degree. C). The UM experienced consistently higher HR [heat resistance] during both rest and work in the heat than did the AM. The AFM exhibited lower HR than either AM or UM during both neutral and hot exposures, despite a higher workload. Both groups of acclimatized subjects possessed lower Tre [rectal temperature] than the unacclimatized subjects in the heat. The superior fitness of the AFM gave an advantage in terms of increased sweating sensitivity since they had equal or greater SR at lower Tre. A high level of physical training is an additional and important variable in the ability to tolerate work in the desert.

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