Human temperature regulation when given the opportunity to behave

Abstract

This study aimed to test the primary hypotheses that human thermoregulatory behavior is: (1) initiated before changes in rectal or esophageal temperatures; and (2) accompanied by indiscernible differences in sweating or shivering. This was achieved by placing nine, healthy, males in a situation where they were free to move between a cold (~8 °C) and a hot (~46 °C) environment. Upon behaving [i.e., move from cold to hot (C→H) or from hot to cold (H→C)], skin, rectal, and esophageal temperatures, indices of cutaneous vasomotor tone, metabolism and evaporation, and local and whole-body thermal discomfort were recorded. Rectal temperatures were similar at H→C (37.1 ± 0.2 °C) and C→H (37.1 ± 0.2 °C); yet esophageal temperatures were higher at C→H (36.9 ± 0.2 vs. 36.8 ± 0.2 °C). Skin temperature (C→H, 28.4 ± 0.9 vs. H→C, 35.0 ± 0.6 °C) and vasomotor tone were drastically different upon the decision to behave. Metabolic heat production was lower at H→C (79 ± 10 W/m(2)) than at C→H (101 ± 20 W/m(2)), yet there were no statistical differences in evaporative heat loss (C→H, 23 ± 33 W/m(2) vs. H→C, 52 ± 36 W/m(2)). Whole-body thermal discomfort was similar at C→H and H→C, yet there were inter-segmental differences. These findings indicate that skin temperature, not core temperature, plays a signaling role in the decision to behaviorally thermoregulate. However, this behavior does not occur in the complete absence of autonomic thermoregulatory responses.