Exercise Thermal Sensation: Physiological Response to Dynamic–Static Steps at Moderate Exercise

• Main Authors: Qinghao Xu, Lin Chen, Hao Chen, Bart Julien Dewancker
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-04-01
• Series: International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health
• Subjects: dynamic–static steps; exercise thermal sensation; physiological parameter; regression model; thermal alliesthesia
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/8/4239

The study of exercise thermal sensation is more difficult than that of static thermal sensation in the human body. This work’s main purpose was to examine specific changes in human physiological parameters and subjective perceptions during the exercise process, especially around dynamic–static steps, and to assess exercise thermal sensation. Experiments were conducted in a climate chamber. A total of 16 subjects participated in two activities of different intensities on a treadmill, namely at 4.5 km/h and 6 km/h. The experimental procedure was set to static–dynamic–static. Skin temperature (T_sk), oral temperature (T_or), heart rate (HR), heart rate variability (HRV) parameters, and electrodermal activity (EDA) were measured at fixed time points, and thermal sensation values, thermal comfort values, and sweat feeling index were collected. The results showed complex changes in physiological indicators around the dynamic–static steps. Some important physio-logical indicators can be used as valid parameters for exercise thermal sensation models, such as T_sk, T_or, and EDA. This study highlighted that prediction models using average change and rate of change of measurements were better than using the original measurements. Our findings suggest that the exercise thermal sensation prediction models should be constructed according to the dynamic–static state and that psychological factors cannot be ignored.