Regulation of Body Temperature and Heat Dissipation at Different Levels of Energy‐and Heat Production in Man

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
In treadmill experiments the ratio between total heat production and metabolic energy production was varied by having a subject walking or running uphill, horizontally or downhill at different speeds between 2 and 14 km/hr. In the steady state of work of different intensities the body temperature (esophageal or rectal) was found to increase to levels dependent on the energy production but independent of the total heat production. At constant environmental temperature the sweat rate and the skin circulation expressed as conductance of the peripheral tissues varied in proportion to the total heat production and seemed to be independent of the internal temperature. It is concluded that the thermoregulation during work serves two purposes 1) the setting of the internal temperature at higher levels proportional to the oxygen uptake and 2) the regulation of the heat dissipation in such way that it equals the total heat production, independent of the internal temperature level.