Comparison of infrared versus contact thermometry for measuring skin temperature during exercise in the heat

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to determine the validity of non-contact infrared thermometry to measure mean skin temperature in resting and exercising subjects in cold, thermo-neutral and hot environments. The subjects for the study were six healthy volunteers. Skin temperature was measured at three sites: the forearm, chest and calf on each subject using both contact thermistors and a non-contact infrared thermometer. Data were collected at rest and during exercise in three different air temperatures (15, 25 and 35 °C). The correlation of resting mean skin temperature using infrared thermometry and contact thermistors was r = 0.95, while the correlation obtained during exercise was r = 0.98. The results of the current study strongly suggest that infrared thermometry is a valid measure of skin temperature during rest and exercise in both hot and cold environments. It is hoped that the results of this study will encourage the use of non-contact infrared thermometry by both clinicians and exercise, environmental, and sleep researchers in the future.