Skin temperature patterns during exercise that act as a thermal controller of the body

초록

Background: Many studies have suggested that skin temperature acts as a thermal controller of the body; however, the results varied depending on the type, intensity, and duration of exercise. This study aimed to establish thermal control patterns of the body by investigating the systematic skin temperature response to a treadmill exercise and a crunch exercise. Methods: From January 2018 to June 2018, 10 male volunteers majoring in professional physical education participated in this study. Treadmill and crunch exercises were performed to assess skin temperature response during whole-body and selective abdominal muscle exercises, respectively. The body surface was categorized into 21 specific regions of interest (ROIs), and the skin temperatures of these ROIs were measured using infrared thermography before and after exercise. Results: This study included 10 male volunteers (age: 24.3 ± 2.1 year; body mass index: 24.8 ± 4.1 kg/m2). The temperatures of all 21 ROIs, except for the anterior forearm, anterior thigh, anterior genual, posterior arm, and posterior cubital regions, were significantly reduced after the treadmill exercise (P < 0.05), and the degree of temperature reduction was 1.7℃ ± 1.1℃. Among these regions, the pectoral, umbilical, and infrascapular regions exhibited significant temperature reductions compared with the other ROIs in both exercises (P < 0.05). Conclusion: By quantifying skin temperature changes during treadmill and crunch exercises using infrared thermography, this study found a significant reduction in skin temperature in the pectoral, umbilical, and infrascapular regions after the exercises compared with the other regions of the body. These findings imply the important role of these regions in the thermal control of the body during exercise.

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