Shivering and heat production in men exposed to intense cold.

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Abstract
Heat production and integrated electrical activity of skeletal muscles related to shivering and muscle tenseness were simultaneously observed in 10 experiments on 9 healthy, clothed male subjects seated in a cold room (-28.9[degree]C) for 4 hr. The integrated electrical activity and heat production generally increased with time, reached a peak 2.25-3 hr. after entrance, and then fluctuated. Heat production and electrical activity, heat production and expired air volume, and electrical activity and expired air volume had high coefficients of correlation, +0.875, +0.916, and +0.802, respectively, for 142 paired variates. There was no evidence of increased heat production without an increase in muscle tenseness and/or shivering. Heat production during the 1st, 2nd, 3rd and 4th hr. averaged 54, 72, 92, and 96 kcal/m2, per hr. respectively. Respiratory quotient declined slightly during the exposure. Mean rectal temperature declined during the 2nd and 3rd hr., but was relatively unchanged during the 4th hr. The psychogenic factor was noted during the final 15 min. of exposure, i.e., the ability to cease shivering, and in some cases to become relaxed, when the suggestion to relax was given. Accompanying this cessation of shivering was a corresponding drop in heat production.

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