Do exist gender differences in skin temperature of lower limbs following exercise test in male and female cross-country skiers?

M Binek,T Socha,I Pokora,Z Drzazga

doi:10.1007/s10973-021-11055-z

Abstract

The aim of study was to assess the skin temperature changes over selected muscles zones of the lower limbs following an exercise performed at similar relative external workload in 10 male and 6 female high-trained cross-country skiers. The first stage of experiment involved preliminary exercise to determine individual oxygen uptake VO2max and anaerobic threshold. The second stage experimental exercise consisted of 60 min running on treadmill with 80% of determined VO2max Thermographic imaging of lower limbs was performed, before, immediately after exercise and during recovery. Physiological parameters: VO2, MET—metabolic energy equivalent, heart rate and internal temperature were assessed at rest and at the end of exercise, respectively. Infrared thermography showed that at rest the skin temperature over lower limb muscles was significantly higher in men than in women. In response to exercise an increase in skin temperature over the studied muscles was significantly higher in women than men. Since was no significant difference in skin temperature in men and women after exercise. Before the test, no physiological parameter was significantly different in women and men. Exercise test reveled significant differences between men and women in some physiological parameters such as VO2 and MET. Our study showed that there are significant differences in lower limbs skin temperature between male and female at rest but not at the end of exercise test. Women in comparison with men had a greater increase in skin temperature in response to exercise and a persistence of elevated temperature over muscles of lower limbs after exercise.

Highlights

The local skin temperature is the result of the balance between metabolic heat production, heat dissipation to the environment and tissue temperature
It has been hypothesized that when assessed during compensated exercises, which elicits the same heat loss demand in participants, gender differences in thermoeffectors can be explained by differences in body surface area to body weight ratio [10]
Thermal mapping showed that skin temperature of the lower limbs in female cross-country skiers was lower than in male, especially before exercise

Summary

Introduction

The local skin temperature is the result of the balance between metabolic heat production, heat dissipation to the environment and tissue temperature. This balance is mainly influenced by the internal body temperature, the ambient temperature and the complex relationship between. Several researchers have observed gender differences in autonomously controlled heat loss pathways (skin vasomotor and sudomotor activities) during heat exposure [6,7,8,9,10]. The temperature response in each part of the body can vary during the recovery period because the trained muscular regions involved in movement exhibit a higher metabolic activity and a faster energetic and tissue recovery facilitated by their increased blood supply

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