Endogenous Heat Production Research Articles

Influence of dietary fiber content and horn status on thermoregulatory responses of Brown Swiss dairy cows under thermoneutral and short-term heat stress conditions

In the present experiment, 10 horned and 10 disbudded mid-lactating Brown Swiss cows were included in a crossover feeding trial with a hay or hay and concentrate diet. The effects of dietary neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content and horn status on thermoregulatory responses under thermoneutral and short-term heat stress conditions were studied, as both are considered to ease the cow's thermoregulation under an environmental heat load. Cows received either ad libitum hay and alfalfa pellets (85:15, C-, NDF content: 41.0%) or restricted amounts of hay and concentrate (70:30, C+, NDF content: 34.5%). The level of restriction applied with the C+ diet was determined from pre-experimental ad libitum intakes, ensuring that both diets provided the same intake of net energy for lactation (NEL). For data collection, cows were housed in respiration chambers for 5 d. The climatic conditions were 10°C and 60% relative humidity (RH), considered thermoneutral (TN) conditions (temperature-humidity index (THI): 52) for d 1 and 2, and 25°C and 70% RH, considered heat stress (HS) conditions (THI: 74), for d 4 and 5. On d 3, the temperature and RH were increased gradually. Compared with TN, HS conditions increased the water intake, skin temperature, respiration and heart rates, and endogenous heat production. They did not affect body temperature, feed intake, or milk production. Lowering dietary fiber content via concentrate supplementation lowered methane and increased carbon dioxide production. It did not mitigate physiological responses to HS. Although the responses of horned and disbudded cows were generally similar, the slower respiration rates of horned cows under HS conditions indicate a possible, albeit minor, role of the horn in thermoregulation. In conclusion, future investigations on nutritional strategies must be conducted to mitigate mild heat stress.

Effects of Different Hydration Strategies in Young Men during Prolonged Exercise at Elevated Ambient Temperatures on Pro-Oxidative and Antioxidant Status Markers, Muscle Damage, and Inflammatory Status.

Physical exercise is associated with an increase in the speed of metabolic processes to supply energy to working muscles and endogenous heat production. Intense sweating caused by the work performed at high ambient temperatures is associated with a significant loss of water and electrolytes, leading to dehydration. This study aimed to examine the effectiveness of different hydration strategies in young men during prolonged exercise at elevated ambient temperatures on levels of pro-oxidative and antioxidant status, oxidative status markers (TAC/TOC), muscle cell damage (Mb, LDH), and inflammatory status (WBC, CRP, IL-1β). The study was conducted on a group of 12 healthy men with average levels of aerobic capacity. The intervention consisted of using various hydration strategies: no hydration; water; and isotonic drinks. The examination was di-vided into two main stages. The first stage was a preliminary study that included medical exami-nations, measurements of somatic indices, and exercise tests. The exercise test was performed on a cycle ergometers. Their results were used to determine individual relative loads for the main part of the experiment. In the second stage, the main study was conducted, involving three series of weekly experimental tests using a cross-over design. The change in plasma volume (∆PV) measured im-mediately and one hour after the exercise test was significantly dependent on the hydration strategy (p = 0.003 and p = 0.002, respectively). The mean values of oxidative status did not differ signifi-cantly between the hydration strategy used and the sequence in which the test was performed. Using isotonic drinks, due to the more efficient restoration of the body's water and electrolyte balance compared to water or no hydration, most effectively protects muscle cells from the negative effects of exercise, leading to heat stress of exogenous and endogenous origin.

Implications of lower indoor temperatures – Not cool for cold susceptible individuals across both sexes

Wider temperature ranges in buildings can reduce building energy use and prevent shortage of energy availability. However, humans do not perceive temperature equally and a general lowering of indoor temperature may in particular impact susceptible individuals. The discrepancy between individuals has been ascribed to sex differences, but is not well understood and could relate to heterogeneity in endogenous heat production or other personal parameters. We, therefore, evaluated individual thermal responses including physiological measurements of metabolic heat production in both men and women, identified, and via experiments, verified as cold sensitive or cold resilient. On average, the cold sensitive group had an 18 % lower resting metabolic rate compared to the cold resilient group when controlling for clothing and other important parameters for heat exchange. We observed a 0.9 °C difference in neutral temperature between sexes, but no difference in thermal perception or skin temperature. We concluded that cold susceptibility is not simply a matter of perception, but relates to a measurable difference in endogenous heat production. Currently mandated temperature setpoints at workplaces or recommended household temperatures do therefore not seem to discriminate between sexes as a result of sex-related differences in physiology, but they might have negative implications for cold sensitive individuals.

Ultrafast Fabrication of Iron/Manganese Co-Doped Bismuth Trimetallic Nanoparticles: A Thermally Aided Chemodynamic/Radio-Nanoplatform for Low-Dose Radioresistance.

Low-dose radioresistance continues to be one of the major limitations for clinical curative treatment of cancer. Luckily, nanotechnology mediated by multifunctional nanomaterials provides potential opportunity to relieve the radioresistance via increasing the radiosensitivity of cancer cells. Herein, an ultrafast fabrication strategy is reported to prepare iron/manganese co-doped bismuth trimetallic nanoparticles (pFMBi NPs) as a multifunctional radiosensitizer for combined therapy. The bismuth matrix provides the intrinsic radiosensitization effect under the low and safe radiation dose via Auger electrons, photoelectrons, and Rayleigh scattering. Meanwhile, co-doping of iron and manganese ions endows pFMBi NPs with both the Fenton reaction property for reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and photothermal conversion performance for heat production. Additional ROS generation enhances the radiosensitization effect by collaborating with Rayleigh scattering-mediated water radiolysis, and endogenous heat production under near-infrared 808 nm laser irradiation makes DNA more sensitive to radiation and ROS damage. Both in vitro and in vivo evaluations demonstrate the effective antitumor and radiosensitization effects via thermally aided chemodynamic/radiotreatment with a low radiation dose (6 Gy). Therefore, this work provides a potential strategy for overcoming the low-dose radioresistance in cancer therapy.

Low activity levels are an adaptation to desert-living in the Grey Falcon, an endotherm that specializes in pursuing highly mobile prey.

Endothermic animals that live permanently in hot deserts must avoid harmful hyperthermia when their body temperature increases from heat gained through external and internal sources. This is true particularly for endotherms that are exclusively diurnal. We investigated the Grey Falcon (Falco hypoleucos), a predatory Australian endemic restricted to the hot arid/semi-arid zone. To understand how this species' entire population persists exclusively and permanently in this extreme environment we examined its activity levels and compared these with equivalent variables from the Peregrine Falcon (F. peregrinus), a cosmopolitan species that inhabits similar environments without being restricted to them. Further, we compared, across a selected group of Falco species, specific plumage characteristics (measured on museum specimens) that we anticipated would enhance the Grey Falcons' ability to cope with high heat loads. We found no morphological or physiological characteristics that would allow them to cope with heat better than other birds, but the chicks seem to have unusually high thermal tolerances. Grey Falcons do, however, possess a suite of unusual behavioural adaptations that, as we propose, enable them to cope with climatic extremes in arid environments. Specifically, throughout their lives Grey Falcons keep activity levels and thus physical exertion low. This behaviour contrasts strikingly with that of the Peregrine Falcon, which also actively hunts birds in flight. Keeping activity levels low is expected to minimize endogenous heat production and thus ease the Grey Falcon's thermoregulation during periods of high heat load. These birds may rely on low levels of relative humidity for efficient evaporative cooling, and this may explain their absolute restriction to hot arid/semi-arid zones.

Thermal Index for early non-invasive assessment of brain injury in newborns treated with therapeutic hypothermia: preliminary report

Perinatal asphyxia (PA) is the 3rd most common cause of neonatal death and one of the most common causes of severe neurological impairments in children. Current tools and measurements mainly based on the analysis of clinical evaluation and laboratory and electrophysiological tests do not give consistent data allowing to predict the severity of hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) until a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) score is performed. The aim of this work is to evaluate the usefulness of the new index, called Thermal Index (TI) in the assessment of the degree of brain damage in newborns in the course of therapeutic hypothermia (TH) due to PA. This was a prospective, observational, pilot study which did not require any changes in the applicable procedures. Analysis has been applied to six newborn babies treated with TH in Neonatal/Paediatric ICU in University Hospital in Opole in 2018 due to PA. They all met criteria for TH according to the current recommendations. Brain MRI was performed after the end of TH when the children were brought back to normal temperature, with the use of a 1.5 T scanner, using T1-, T2-weighted images, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR), inversion recovery (IR), susceptibility-weighted imaging (SWI), and diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI). The images were assessed using MRI score according to the scoring system proposed by Weeke et al. The Thermal Index assessing endogenous heat production was calculated according to the formula proposed in this paper. A high, statistically significant positive correlation was found between MRI scores and TI values (0.98; p = 0.0003) in the 1st hour of therapy. High correlation with MRI assessment, the non-invasiveness of measurements and the availability of results within the first few hours of treatment, allow authors to propose the Thermal Index as a tool for early evaluating of the brain injury in newborns treated with TH. Further research is required to confirm the usefulness of the proposed method.

Thermal constraints on energy balance, behaviour and spatial distribution of grizzly bears

Abstract Heat dissipation limit theory posits that energy available for growth and reproduction in endotherms is limited by their ability to dissipate heat. In mammals, endogenous heat production increases markedly during gestation and lactation, and thus female mammals may be subject to greater thermal constraints on energy expenditure than males. Such constraints likely have important implications for behaviour and population performance in a warming climate. We used a mechanistic simulation model based on the first principles of heat and mass transfer to study thermal constraints on activity (both timing and intensity) of captive female grizzly bears Ursus arctos in current and future climate scenarios. We then quantified the relative importance of regulatory behaviours for maintaining heat balance using GPS telemetry locations of lactating versus non‐lactating female bears from Yellowstone National Park, and assessed the degree to which costs of thermoregulation constrained the distribution of sampled bears in space and time. Lactating female bears benefitted considerably more from behavioural cooling mechanisms (e.g. partial submersion in cool water or bedding on cool substrate) than non‐lactating females in our simulations; the availability of water for thermoregulation increased the number of hours during which lactating females could be active by up to 60% under current climatic conditions and by up to 43% in the future climate scenario. Moreover, even in the future climate scenario, lactating bears were able to achieve heat balance 24 hr/day by thermoregulating behaviourally when water was available to facilitate cooling. The most important predictor of female grizzly bear distribution in Yellowstone, regardless of reproductive status, was elevation. However, variables associated with the thermal environment were relatively more important for predicting the distribution of lactating than non‐lactating female bears. Our results suggest that the costs of heat dissipation, which are modulated by climate, may impose constraints on the behaviour and energetics of large endotherms like grizzly bears, and that access to water for cooling will likely be an increasingly important driver of grizzly bear distribution in Yellowstone as the climate continues to warm. A free Plain Language Summary can be found within the Supporting Information of this article.

Endocrinology of thermoregulation in birds in a changing climate

The ability to maintain a (relatively) stable body temperature in a wide range of thermal environments by use of endogenous heat production is a unique feature of endotherms such as birds. Endothermy is acquired and regulated via various endocrine and molecular pathways, and ultimately allows wide aerial, aquatic, and terrestrial distribution in variable environments. However, due to our changing climate, birds are faced with potential new challenges for thermoregulation, such as more frequent extreme weather events, lower predictability of climate, and increasing mean temperature. We provide an overview on thermoregulation in birds and its endocrine and molecular mechanisms, pinpointing gaps in current knowledge and recent developments, focusing especially on non-model species to understand the generality of, and variation in, mechanisms. We highlight plasticity of thermoregulation and underlying endocrine regulation, because thorough understanding of plasticity is key to predicting responses to changing environmental conditions. To this end, we discuss how changing climate is likely to affect avian thermoregulation and associated endocrine traits, and how the interplay between these physiological processes may play a role in facilitating or constraining adaptation to a changing climate. We conclude that while the general patterns of endocrine regulation of thermogenesis are quite well understood, at least in poultry, the molecular and endocrine mechanisms that regulate, e.g. mitochondrial function and plasticity of thermoregulation over different time scales (from transgenerational to daily variation), need to be unveiled. Plasticity may ameliorate climate change effects on thermoregulation to some extent, but the increased frequency of extreme weather events, and associated changes in resource availability, may be beyond the scope and/or speed for plastic responses. This could lead to selection for more tolerant phenotypes, if the underlying physiological traits harbour genetic and individual variation for selection to act on – a key question for future research.

Hypoxia gradually augments metabolic and thermoperceptual responsiveness to repeated whole-body cold stress in humans.

New Findings What is the central question of this study? In male lowlanders, does hypoxia modulate thermoregulatory effector responses during repeated whole‐body cold stress encountered in a single day? What is the main finding and its importance? A ∼10 h sustained exposure to hypoxia appears to mediate a gradual upregulation of endogenous heat production, preventing the progressive hypothermic response prompted by serial cold stimuli. Also, hypoxia progressively degrades mood, and compounds the perceived thermal discomfort, and sensations of fatigue and coldness. We examined whether hypoxia would modulate thermoeffector responses during repeated cold stress encountered in a single day. Eleven men completed two ∼10 h sessions, while breathing, in normobaria, either normoxia or hypoxia (PO2: 12 kPa). During each session, subjects underwent sequentially three 120 min immersions to the chest in 20°C water (CWI), interspersed by 120 min rewarming. In normoxia, the final drop in rectal temperature (T rec) was greater in the third (∼1.2°C) than in the first and second (∼0.9°C) CWIs (P < 0.05). The first hypoxic CWI augmented the T rec fall (∼1.2°C; P = 0.002), but the drop in T rec did not vary between the three hypoxic CWIs (P = 0.99). In normoxia, the metabolic heat production (M˙) was greater during the first half of the third CWI than during the corresponding part of the first CWI (P = 0.02); yet the difference was blunted during the second half of the CWIs (P = 0.89). In hypoxia, by contrast, the increase in M˙ was augmented by ∼25% throughout the third CWI (P < 0.01). Regardless of the breathing condition, the cold‐induced elevation in mean arterial pressure was blunted in the second and third CWI (P < 0.05). Hypoxia aggravated the sensation of coldness (P = 0.05) and thermal discomfort (P = 0.04) during the second half of the third CWI. The present findings therefore demonstrate that prolonged hypoxia mediates, in a gradual manner, metabolic and thermoperceptual sensitization to repeated cold stress.

Feed intake–dependent and –independent effects of heat stress on lactation and mammary gland development

With a growing population, a reliable food supply is increasingly important. Heat stress reduces livestock meat and milk production. Genetic selection of high-producing animals increases endogenous heat production, while climate change increases exogenous heat exposure. Both sources of heat exacerbate the risk of heat-induced depression of production. Rodents are valuable models to understand mechanisms conserved across species. Heat exposure suppresses feed intake across homeothermic species including rodents and production animal species. We assessed the response to early-mid lactation or late-gestation heat exposure on milk production and mammary gland development/function, respectively. Using pair-fed controls we experimentally isolated the feed intake-dependent and -independent effects of heat stress on mammary function and mass. Heat exposure (35°C, relative humidity 50%) decreased daily feed intake. When heat exposure occurred during lactation, hypophagia accounted for approximately 50% of the heat stress-induced hypogalactia. Heat exposure during middle to late gestation suppressed feed intake, which was fully responsible for the lowered mammary gland weight of dams at parturition. However, the impaired mammary gland function in heat-exposed dams measured by metabolic rate and lactogenesis could not be explained by depressed feed consumption. In conclusion, mice recapitulate the depressed milk production and mammary gland development observed in dairy species while providing insight regarding the role of feed intake. This opens the potential to apply genetic, experimental, and pharmacological models unique to mice to identify the mechanism by which heat is limiting animal production.

Ambient Temperature Cycles Affect Daily Torpor and Hibernation Patterns in Malagasy Tenrecs.

Hibernation and daily torpor (heterothermy) allow endotherms to cope with demanding environmental conditions. The depth and duration of torpor bouts vary considerably between tropical and temperate climates, and tropical hibernators manage to cope with a wider spectrum of ambient temperature (Ta) regimes during heterothermy. As cycles in Ta can have profound effects on activity and torpor patterns as well as energy expenditure, we examined how these characteristics are affected by daily fluctuating versus constant Ta in a tropical hibernator, the lesser hedgehog tenrec (Echinops telfairi). Throughout the study, regardless of season, the tenrecs became torpid every day. In summer, E. telfairi used daily fluctuations in Ta to passively rewarm from daily torpor, which led to synchrony in the activity phases and torpor bouts between individuals and generally decreased energy expenditure. In contrast, animals housed at constant Ta showed considerable variation in timing and they had to invest more energy through endogenous heat production. During the hibernation season (winter) E. telfairi hibernated for several months in constant, as well as in fluctuating Ta and, as in summer, under fluctuating Ta arousals were much more uniform and showed less variation in timing compared to constant temperature regimes. The timing of torpor is not only important for its effective use, but synchronization of activity patterns could also be essential for social interactions, and successful foraging bouts. Our results highlight that Ta cycles can be an effective zeitgeber for activity and thermoregulatory rhythms throughout the year and that consideration should be given to the choice of temperature regime when studying heterothermy under laboratory conditions.

Switching on the furnace: Regulation of heat production in brown adipose tissue

Endothermy requires a source of endogenous heat production. In birds, this is derived primarily from shivering, but in mammals it is mostly non-shivering thermogenesis (NST). Brown adipose tissue (BAT) is a specialized tissue found in Eutherian mammals that is the source of most NST. Heat production in BAT depends primarily on the activity of uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1), which decouples transport of protons across the inner mitochondrial membrane from synthesis of ATP. UCP1 and hence heat production of BAT is regulated by many factors. In this paper we discuss the main factors activating UCP1 and increasing heat production. Probably the most well-known activator is the catecholamine norepinephrine (NE) which is released from sympathetic nerve endings and binds to adrenergic receptors that are abundantly expressed on BAT. NE stimulates release of free-fatty acids. It was previously thought that such FFAs were essential for activation of UCP1. However recent work has suggested intracellular lipolysis is not essential and FFAs can be derived from extracellular sources. Thyroid hormones also exert impacts on metabolic rate via effects on brown adipocytes which express type 2 deiodinase. Knocking out DIO2 makes mice cold intolerant. Parathyroid hormone appears to also be a potent regulator of BAT activity and may be an important mediator of elevated expenditure during cancer cachexia, although this is disputed by observations that cachexia wasting is not blunted in UCP1 KO mice. Cardiac natriuretic peptides have also been implicated in regulating BAT thermogenesis and the interconversion of beige adipocytes from their white to brown form. Activation of BAT thermogenesis may be an important component of the post-ingestion rise in heat production. Recent work suggests the gut derived hormone secretin may play a key role in this effect, directly linking BAT activation to the alimentary tract. Not only gut hormones but also metabolites derived from gut microbiota such as butyrate may be an important activator of BAT during cold exposure. Additional regulatory factors include bone morphogenic proteins, fibroblast growth factor 21, Vascular endothelial growth factors and transient receptor potential vanilloid receptors which are important components of thermal sensing and hence how brown adipose tissue responds to the cold. In the future the main challenge is to understand how these regulatory factors combine with each other and with inhibitory factors to control heat production from BAT, and what their relative importance is in differing circumstances. Knocking out UCP1 has revealed other sources of heat production in BAT including creatine-dependent cycles and a futile cycle of Ca2+ shuttling into and out of the endoplasmic reticulum via the SERCA and ryanodine receptors.

Metabolic response of organic strawberries and kiwifruit subjected to PEF assisted-osmotic dehydration

Abstract This research aims to evaluate the effect of pulsed electric field (PEF) pre-treatment for osmotic dehydration (OD) on physiological changes in organic strawberries and kiwifruits, in terms of metabolic heat production, measured by isothermal calorimeter, and of tissue damage, evaluated by fluorescence microscopy, texture analysis, and electrolytes leakage. Fruits were pre-treated at two electric field strengths (100 and 200 V/cm) using 100 near-rectangular shaped pulses (pulse width: 10 μs, repetition time: 10 ms) and then subjected to OD in hypertonic solutions (40% w/w) of sucrose or trehalose, both added with calcium lactate 1%. Results showed that OD alone allowed to retain the functionality of the membranes causing only a decrease in the endogenous heat production. The application of low electric field strength (100 V/cm) generally preserved the cell viability, which was drastically reduced after OD treatment. On the contrary, the application of 200 V/cm caused tissue damage and loss of cell vitality, probably due to irreversible electroporation. Industrial application PEF could be an interesting pre-treatment for reducing the intensity of osmotic dehydration of fruits. However, it is important to understand the implication of the treatment on the tissue metabolism and structure to control the effect on the quality of the final product. This study provides some useful information that could be exploited for the industrial production of intermediate moisture fruit products.

Frequent nocturnal torpor in a free-ranging Australian honeyeater, the noisy miner.

Torpor in birds is considered to be far less common than in mammals. This is particularly true for passerine birds for which knowledge of torpor expression is scarce, although almost all are small, have high energy expenditure and could profit energetically from using torpor. To assess whether the extent and diversity of avian and especially passerine torpor expression and heterothermy may be currently underestimated because of limited long-term data on free-ranging birds, core body temperature fluctuations were quantified over ~ 4.3months in a medium-sized honeyeater, the noisy miner (Manorina melanocephala, ~ 75g), in an open woodland during the cold season in eastern Australia. Miners used shallow nocturnal torpor frequently (63% of days), torpor bouts lasted on average for 6.5h (maximum 13.5h) and, unlike during hypothermia, torpor was terminated by endogenous heat production for rewarming. Body temperatures (Tb) ranged from a maximum of 43.5°C to a minimum of 33.0°C, often fell by 7°C at night, and the overall mean Tb was 38.7 ± 0.7°C. The data show that yet another passerine bird, widely viewed to be homeothermic, expresses torpor in the wild for energy conservation. Considering the size of miners, it seems probable that many other, especially smaller birds, use a similar approach at least in winter to enhance the chance of survival in the face of high energy expenditure and low food availability.

On the effects of constant and variable work of equivalent average intensity on whole‐body heat exchange

Currently recommended heat exposure guidelines prescribe work‐rest allocations based on the level of heat stress originating from the environment and estimated work intensity with the primary goal of maintaining body core temperature within safe limits. Due to the nature of most occupations, these parameters are rarely, if ever, constant. For this reason, ambient conditions (e.g., temperature and humidity) and metabolic rate (endogenous heat production) are quantified as a time‐weighted average over a given work period. What is unknown, however, is whether time‐dependent alterations in work intensity influence whole‐body heat exchange and cardiovascular strain during work eliciting an equivalent time‐weighted average heat production. On four occasions, six young (27 years [SD 4]) males performed 90‐min of semi‐recumbent cycling at a time‐weighted average rate of heat production (~200 W·m−2) in dry heat (40°C, ~20% relative humidity) elicited via cycling at a constant external work rate of 40 W·m−2 (CON) or variable intensity cycling performed in 10‐min cycles: 1) 5 min at an external work rate of 15 W·m−2 followed by 5‐min at 60 W·m−2 (VAR‐LOW); 2) 6 min at 15 W·m−2 followed by 4 min at 70 W·m−2 (VAR‐MOD); and 3) 7 min at 15 W·m−2 followed by 3 min at 80 W·m−2 (VAR‐HIGH). Heat production was measured via indirect calorimetry while whole‐body evaporative heat loss and dry heat gain were evaluated with direct calorimetry. Body heat storage was calculated as the temporal‐summation of heat production and net heat exchange (evaporative heat loss minus dry heat gain). Calorimetric data were expressed as a time‐weighted average (W·m−2) except for heat storage, which was presented as a cumulative value (kJ). Rectal temperature and heart rate were monitored continuously and reported as an average of the final 10‐min of exercise (i.e., final cycle) as well as a peak 30‐s average during this period. Across conditions, there were no differences in evaporative heat loss (241 [20] W·m−2, P=0.20), dry heat gain (59 [13] W·m−2, P=0.52), net heat exchange (281 [10] W·m−2, P=0.54) or body heat storage (224 [55] kJ, P=0.87). Likewise, rectal temperature was not influenced by varying work intensity (average: 37.79 [0.23]°C; peak: 37.84 [0.22]°C; both P≥0.65). However, compared to CON (115 [8] beats·min−1), average heart rate over the final 10 min of exercise was elevated in VAR‐LOW (124 [12] beats·min−1; P=0.01), VAR‐MOD (122 [10] beats·min−1; P=0.04) and VAR‐HIGH (124 [11] beats·min−1; P=0.01), but similar between the variable work conditions (all P≥0.17). Similarly, peak heart rate was elevated in each of the variable work conditions compared to CON (120 [10] beats·min−1; all P&lt;0.01) and in VAR‐HIGH (154 [11] beats·min−1) compared to both VAR‐LOW (140 [12] beats·min−1; P&lt;0.01) and VAR‐MOD (143 [12] beats·min−1; P=0.01). These preliminary data suggest that time‐dependent alterations in work intensity eliciting equivalent time‐weighted rates of metabolic heat production do not influence whole‐body heat exchange or thermal strain, but exacerbate cardiovascular strain compared to constant‐intensity work.Support or Funding InformationThis project was funded by the Government of Ontario and the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Seven days of cold acclimation substantially reduces shivering intensity and increases nonshivering thermogenesis in adult humans.

Daily compensable cold exposure in humans reduces shivering by ~20% without changing total heat production, partly by increasing brown adipose tissue thermogenic capacity and activity. Although acclimation and acclimatization studies have long suggested that daily reductions in core temperature are essential to elicit significant metabolic changes in response to repeated cold exposure, this has never directly been demonstrated. The aim of the present study is to determine whether daily cold-water immersion, resulting in a significant fall in core temperature, can further reduce shivering intensity during mild acute cold exposure. Seven men underwent 1 h of daily cold-water immersion (14°C) for seven consecutive days. Immediately before and following the acclimation protocol, participants underwent a mild cold exposure using a novel skin temperature clamping cold exposure protocol to elicit the same thermogenic rate between trials. Metabolic heat production, shivering intensity, muscle recruitment pattern, and thermal sensation were measured throughout these experimental sessions. Uncompensable cold acclimation reduced total shivering intensity by 36% (P = 0.003), without affecting whole body heat production, double what was previously shown from a 4-wk mild acclimation. This implies that nonshivering thermogenesis increased to supplement the reduction in the thermogenic contribution of shivering. As fuel selection did not change following the 7-day cold acclimation, we suggest that the nonshivering mechanism recruited must rely on a similar fuel mixture to produce this heat. The more significant reductions in shivering intensity compared with a longer mild cold acclimation suggest important differential metabolic responses, resulting from an uncompensable compared with compensable cold acclimation. NEW & NOTEWORTHY Several decades of research have been dedicated to reducing the presence of shivering during cold exposure. The present study aims to determine whether as little as seven consecutive days of cold-water immersion is sufficient to reduce shivering and increase nonshivering thermogenesis. We provide evidence that whole body nonshivering thermogenesis can be increased to offset a reduction in shivering activity to maintain endogenous heat production. This demonstrates that short, but intense cold stimulation can elicit rapid metabolic changes in humans, thereby improving our comfort and ability to perform various motor tasks in the cold. Further research is required to determine the nonshivering processes that are upregulated within this short time period.

Sweet Success: Metabolic Substrate Adaptations To Acute Hypoxia In The Naked Mole Rat (Heterocephalus Glaber)

Naked mole rats are among the most hypoxia‐tolerant mammals identified. This tolerance is partially achieved through their ability to coordinately reduce metabolic rates by &gt; 85% in acute hypoxia while staying warm and active in their hypoxic underground burrows. Our understanding of the physiological responses that enable their hypoxia‐tolerance is improving; however, the underlying molecular and biochemical mechanisms that support this remarkable energetic suppression are poorly understood. Of particular interest is a putative metabolic fuel substrate switch in hypoxia. Naked mole rats primarily metabolize lipids in normoxia, but carbohydrate metabolism may be favored in hypoxia because carbohydrate oxidation yields more energy per molecule of oxygen than does lipid oxidation. We hypothesized that naked mole rats switch to primarily glucose‐fueled metabolism in acute hypoxia and that the energetic needs of brain and heart are prioritized over those of other tissues. Furthermore, we predicted that heat production from brown adipose tissue, which is a glucose‐intensive process, would be turned off in hypoxia as an energy‐saving strategy. To test these hypotheses, we measured metabolic fuel usage and heat production in naked mole rats exposed to acute hypoxia (7% O2) using non‐invasive in vivo imaging techniques, including infrared thermography, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET). We found that glucose metabolism is markedly upregulated in heart and brain during acute hypoxia, but decreased in liver. Furthermore, heat generation from brown adipose tissue is entirely turned off in hypoxia and the naked mole rat body temperature drops to near or below ambient temperature, indicating that all endogenous heat production ceases in hypoxia. We conclude that naked mole rats maximize the energy/oxygen ratio in their metabolic fuel substrate usage and prioritize feeding the energetic needs of brain and heart over all other metabolic processes in hypoxia.Support or Funding InformationThis study was supported by an NSERC discovery grant to MEP, a CIHR grant to AJS, and CRC grants to MEP and AJS.This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2018 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Free-living greylag geese adjust their heart rates and body core temperatures to season and reproductive context

Animals adaptively regulate their metabolic rate and hence energy expenditure over the annual cycle to cope with energetic challenges. We studied energy management in greylag geese. In all geese, profound seasonal changes of heart rate (fH) and body temperature (Tb) showed peaks in summer and troughs during winter, and also daily modulation of fH and Tb. Daily mean fH was on average 22% lower at the winter trough than at the summer peak, whereas daily mean Tb at the winter trough was only about 1 °C below the summer peak. Daily means of Tb together with those of air temperature and day length were the most important predictors of daily mean fH, which was further modulated by precipitation, reproductive state, and, to a minor degree, social rank. Peaks of fH and Tb occurred earlier in incubating females compared to males. Leading goslings increased daily mean fH. Our results suggest that in greylag geese, pronounced changes of fH over the year are caused by photoperiod-induced changes of endogenous heat production. Similar to large non-hibernating mammals, tolerance of lower Tb during winter seems the major factor permitting this. On top of these major seasonal changes, fH and Tb are elevated in incubating females.

Ajuste dos níveis de energia e proteína e suas relações para galinhas poedeiras em diferentes condições térmicas

The adequacy of laying hens diets can become an essential strategy for the maintenance of the productive levels of the current lineages of the market. Considering that feed costs are the ones that most affect poultry activity, adjusting the energy and protein levels of laying hens diets ensure egg quality integrity, improves the quality of the environment and reduces costs inherent of food. Adult poultry maintain their thermal comfort with temperatures between 18 and 28º C and, either higher oscillations (heat stress) or lower oscillations (cold stress), are responsible for changes in food consumption by the animals, in an attempt to maintain a constant body temperature. In cold situations birds increase feed intake, in an attempt to produce metabolic heat and maintain homeothermia. In the heat, birds reduce feed intake and increase water consumption, reducing endogenous heat production and cooling the body through the gradient between water temperature and bird's body core. Although this mechanism of adjustment in food consumption is well known, it is observed that there are few scientific reports about the energy: protein ratio in laying hens diets, and thus, the main objective of this review.

Extensive increase of metabolic demand while walking wearing night vision goggles in hilly terrain

Introduction: The motivation for the foot-borne soldiers to carry out nighttime operations may be to reduce heat strain. We have previously found elevated metabolic demand (+7%), and hence endogenous heat production, during walking on a flat gravel road in darkness wearing Night Vision Goggles (NVG) compared with wearing a headlamp. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of wearing NVG while walking in a hilly forest terrain, and compare results between skilled and unskilled NVG users.