Body mapping of regional sweat distribution in young and older males
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE
Body mapping of regional sweat distribution in young and older males Nicole A. Coull1,2 · Anna M. West1 · Simon G. Hodder1 · Patrick Wheeler3 · George Havenith1 Received: 4 June 2020 / Accepted: 12 September 2020 © The Author(s) 2020
Abstract Purpose Given the pressing impact of global warming and its detrimental effect on the health of older populations, understanding age-related changes in thermoregulatory function is essential. Age differences in regional sweat distribution have been observed previously, but given the typically small measurement areas assessed, the development of whole body sweat maps for older individuals is required. Therefore, this study investigated age-related differences in regional sweat distribution in a hot environment (32 °C/50%RH) in young and older adults, using a body mapping approach. Methods Technical absorbent pads were applied to the skin of 14 young (age 24 ± 2 years) and 14 older (68 ± 5 years) males to measure regional sweat rate (RSR) at rest (30 min) and during exercise (30 min), at a fixed heat production (200 W m−2). Gastrointestinal (Tgi) and skin temperature (Tsk), heart rate, thermal sensation, and thermal comfort were also measured. Results Whole body sweat maps showed that despite equal heat production, healthy older males had significantly lower gross sweat loss (GSL) than the young and significantly lower RSR at almost all body regions at rest and at the hands, legs, ankles, and feet during exercise. The lower sweat loss in the older group coincided with a greater increase in Tgi and a consistently higher Tsk at the legs, despite subjectively feeling slightly cooler than younger individuals. Conclusion These findings support the evidence of age-related deterioration in both autonomic and subjective responses in the heat and highlight the lower extremities as the most affected body region. Keywords Sweating · Skin temperature · Body mapping · Exercise · Heat · Ageing Abbreviations BSA Body surface area GSL Gross sweat loss RER Respiratory exchange ratio RH Relative humidity RPE Rating of perceived exertion
RSR Regional sweat rate Tcore Core temperature Tgi Gastrointestinal (core) temperature Tsk Skin temperature
Communicated by Narihiko Kondo.
Under thermoneutral, resting conditions, heat balance is subtly maintained via vasomotor adjustments, whereby heat is dissipated at a similar rate to heat production (Parsons 2014). During exercise and exposure to high environmental temperatures, the challenge of maintaining heat balance is greater, as the requirement for heat dissipation becomes essential to prevent overheating (Smith and Johnson 2016). Under these conditions, evaporation of sweat becomes the primary avenue of heat loss from the body, triggered by an increase in both core temperature (Tcore) and skin temperature (Tsk). Thus, understanding the mechanisms that underpin and alter the human sweat response is important to maintain human function.
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