Submit to Life Review for Life Propose a Special Issue

Journal Browser

► Journal Browser

Human Thermophysiology

Special Issue Editors
Special Issue Information
Keywords
Published Papers

A special issue of Life (ISSN 2075-1729). This special issue belongs to the section "Physiology and Pathology".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 December 2021) | Viewed by 22330

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Jose Ignacio Priego-Quesada

E-Mail Website1 Website2
Guest Editor

1. Research Group in Sports Biomechanics (GIBD), Department of Physical Education and Sports, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
2. Biophysics and Medical Physics Group, Department of Physiology, University of Valencia, Valencia, Spain
Interests: sports science; biomechanics; running biomechanics; cycling biomechanics; infrared thermography; exercise thermoregulation
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The purpose of this Special Issue is to show relevant works and the latest updates about human thermophysiology. The study of human thermoregulation is of great interest in numerous applications and topics: sports science, occupational ergonomics, climate change, physiological stress in extreme situations, etc. In this sense, science must continue to provide knowledge on the physiological and thermoregulatory bases of the human body, as well as on measurement methods and also on new applications in which thermoregulatory analysis is of interest. We invite authors to submit papers with original results from research related to human thermophysiology. Review manuscripts and papers with contributions on methodologies and advances in the technology are also invited.

Manuscripts submitted to this Special Issue should follow certain requirements:

Manuscripts should be related with the topic of this Special Issue;
Manuscripts should present an important novelty of the content and high potential impact in the relevant field of research;
They should have a high standard of English (expression, grammar, and spelling);
There should be a proper design of the experiment, and methodology described detailed to guarantee the reproducibility of the study;
There should be a sample per analysis subgroup minimum of 10 participants. A smaller sample may be justified if it is a population that is excessively difficult to recruit more (e.g., a rare disease). For small samples, i.e., <15 participants, the effect size should be used to show that the sample is sufficient to support the results. However, it is recommended to always include the effect sizes in the data report;
Manuscripts should include the reference of the approval by the ethical committee for experimental studies.

Prof. Dr. Jose Ignacio Priego-Quesada
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Life is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2600 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

temperature (skin, core, and/or muscle temperature)
sweat measurement
thermal sensors and measurements
exercise thermoregulation
extreme environments
occupational physiology
thermal acclimatization
thermoregulation and pathology
human biometeorology
clothing and equipment
thermal comfort and perception
infrared thermography
climate change

Published Papers (9 papers)

Download All Papers

Editorial

Jump to: Research, Other

3 pages, 203 KiB

Open AccessEditorial

New Advances in Human Thermophysiology

by Jose Ignacio Priego-Quesada

Life 2022, 12(8), 1261; https://doi.org/10.3390/life12081261 - 18 Aug 2022

Viewed by 1250

Abstract

Human thermoregulation is the integrative physiological responses of the body used to maintain a core temperature with values close to 37 °C, even in a wide range of activities and environments [...] Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Thermophysiology)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Other

16 pages, 1288 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Impact of a Cold Environment on the Performance of Professional Cyclists: A Pilot Study

by Florence Riera, Samuel Bellenoue, Simon Fischer and Henri Méric

Life 2021, 11(12), 1326; https://doi.org/10.3390/life11121326 - 1 Dec 2021

Cited by 5 | Viewed by 2522

Abstract

The practice of physical activity in a variable climate during the same competition is becoming more and more common due to climate change and increasingly frequent climate disturbances. The main aim of this pilot study was to understand the impact of cold ambient temperature on performance factors during a professional cycling race. Six professional athletes (age = 27 ± 2.7 years; height = 180.86 ± 5.81 cm; weight = 74.09 ± 9.11 kg; % fat mass = 8.01 ± 2.47%; maximum aerobic power (MAP) = 473 ± 26.28 W, undertook ~20 h training each week at the time of the study) participated in the Tour de la Provence under cold environmental conditions (the ambient temperature was 15.6 ± 1.4 °C with a relative humidity of 41 ± 8.5% and the normalized ambient temperature (T_awc) was 7.77 ± 2.04 °C). Body core temperature (T_co) was measured with an ingestible capsule. Heart rate (HR), power, speed, cadence and the elevation gradient were read from the cyclists’ onboard performance monitors. The interaction (multivariate analysis of variance) of the T_awc and the elevation gradient has a significant impact (F(1.5) = 32.2; p < 0.001) on the variables (cadence, power, velocity, core temperature, heart rate) and on each individual. Thus, this pilot study shows that in cold environmental conditions, the athlete’s performance was limited by weather parameters (ambient temperature associated with air velocity) and race characteristics. The interaction of T_awc and elevation gradient significantly influences thermal (T_co), physiological (HR) and performance (power, speed and cadence) factors. Therefore, it is advisable to develop warm-up, hydration and clothing strategies for competitive cycling under cold ambient conditions and to acclimatize to the cold by training in the same conditions to those that may be encountered in competition. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Thermophysiology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 1948 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Effects of In Vitro Muscle Contraction on Thermogenic Protein Levels in Co-Cultured Adipocytes

by Eleni Nintou, Eleni Karligiotou, Maria Vliora, Ioannis G. Fatouros, Athanasios Z. Jamurtas, Nikos Sakellaridis, Konstantinos Dimas and Andreas D. Flouris

Life 2021, 11(11), 1227; https://doi.org/10.3390/life11111227 - 12 Nov 2021

Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3015

Abstract

The crosstalk between the exercising muscle and the adipose tissue, mediated by myokines and metabolites, derived from both tissues during exercise has created a controversy between animal and human studies with respect to the impact of exercise on the browning process. The aim of this study was to investigate whether co-culturing of C2C12 myotubes and 3T3-L1 adipocytes under the stimuli of electrical pulse stimulation (EPS) mimicking muscle contraction can impact the expression of UCP1, PGC-1a, and IL-6 in adipocytes, therefore providing evidence on the direct crosstalk between adipocytes and stimulated muscle cells. In the co-cultured C2C12 cells, EPS increased the expression of PGC-1a (p = 0.129; d = 0.73) and IL-6 (p = 0.09; d = 1.13) protein levels. When EPS was applied, we found that co-culturing led to increases in UCP1 (p = 0.044; d = 1.29) and IL-6 (p = 0.097; d = 1.13) protein expression in the 3T3-L1 adipocytes. The expression of PGC-1a increased by EPS but was not significantly elevated after co-culturing (p = 0.448; d = 0.08). In vitro co-culturing of C2C12 myotubes and 3T3-L1 adipocytes under the stimuli of EPS leads to increased expression of thermogenic proteins. These findings indicate changes in the expression pattern of proteins related to browning of adipose tissue, supporting the use of this in vitro model to study the crosstalk between adipocytes and contracting muscle. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Thermophysiology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 1739 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Neuromuscular Activity during Cycling Performance in Hot/Dry and Hot/Humid Conditions

by Michelle Baillot, Olivier Hue, Trong Than Tran and Sophie Antoine-Jonville

Life 2021, 11(11), 1149; https://doi.org/10.3390/life11111149 - 28 Oct 2021

Cited by 3 | Viewed by 1830

Abstract

To determine the relationships between limiting factors and neuromuscular activity during a self-paced 20-km cycling time trial and evaluate the effect of environmental conditions on fatigue indices. Methods: Ten endurance-trained and heat-acclimated athletes performed in three conditions (ambient temperature, relative humidity): HUMID (30 °C, 90%), DRY (35 °C, 46%) and NEUTRAL (22 °C, 55%). Voluntary muscular contractions and electromagnetic stimulations were recorded before and after the time trials to assess fatigue. The data on performance, temperature, heat storage, electromyogram, heart rate and rating of perceived exertion data were analyzed. Results: Performance was impaired in DRY and HUMID compared with NEUTRAL environment (p < 0.05). The force developed by the vastus lateral muscle during stimulation of the femoral nerve remained unchanged across conditions. The percentage of integrated electromyogram activity, normalized by the value attained during the pre-trial maximal voluntary contraction, decreased significantly throughout the trial only in HUMID condition (p < 0.01). Neuromuscular activity in peripheral skeletal muscle started to fall from the 11th km in HUMID and the 15th km in DRY condition, although core temperature did not reach critical values. Conclusions: These alterations suggest that afferences from core/skin temperature regulate the central neural motor drive, reducing the active muscle recruited during prolonged exercise in the heat in order to prevent the system from hyperthermia. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Thermophysiology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

10 pages, 1330 KiB

Open AccessArticle

The Impact of Dehydration and Hyperthermia on Circulatory Glutathione Metabolism after Exercise in the Heat with Insights into the Role of Erythrocytes

by Denise de Melo-Marins, Juliano Boufleur Farinha, Franccesco Pinto Boeno, Alexandra Ferreira Vieira, Samuel Vargas Munhoz, Gabriela Cristina dos Santos, Mauricio Krause, Orlando Laitano and Alvaro Reischak-Oliveira

Life 2021, 11(11), 1144; https://doi.org/10.3390/life11111144 - 27 Oct 2021

Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2082

Abstract

Background: Reduced glutathione (GSH) is one of the main thiols involved in antioxidant defense. Changes in circulatory levels of GSH during exercise are associated with hyperthermia and dehydration. The mechanisms by which these alterations occur are not entirely known. We hypothesize that erythrocytes could be an important source of circulatory GSH during heat stress conditions. We performed two separate experiments to address this hypothesis. Methods: In the first experiment, we sought to investigate the impact of exercise in the heat and dehydration on erythrocyte levels of GSH. A total of 10 men performed 60 min of cycling at 60% VO₂peak in the heat (38.0 ± 0.9 °C) or in a control temperate environment (23.0 ± 1.0 °C), both with and without dehydration. Relative humidity ranged from 50 to 70%. Blood samples were taken before and after exercise to measure GSH and oxidized (GSSG) glutathione. In the second experiment, erythrocytes were isolated from blood samples taken at rest and heated in vitro to determine the impact of heat on erythrocyte glutathione content. Tubes with erythrocytes were exposed to water baths at different temperatures; one tube was exposed to a water bath at 35 °C and the other tube to a water bath at 41 °C for a period of 30 min. After exposure to heat, plasma and erythrocytes were extracted for GSH and GSSG analyses. Results: Dehydration decreased circulatory GSH, regardless of ambient temperature (temperate and heat decreased 15.35% and 30.31%, respectively), resulting in an altered redox balance. Heat increased GSH levels in vitro. Conclusion: Our data suggest that dehydration decreases circulatory GSH levels regardless of environmental temperature. In addition, in vitro data suggests that erythrocytes may contribute to the release of GSH during exposure to heat stress. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Thermophysiology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

12 pages, 2342 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Temperate Air Breathing Increases Cycling Performance in Hot and Humid Climate Environment

by Clovis Chabert, Aurélie Collado and Olivier Hue

Life 2021, 11(9), 911; https://doi.org/10.3390/life11090911 - 1 Sep 2021

Cited by 1 | Viewed by 2101

Abstract

Practicing physical activity in a hot and humid climate (HHC) is becoming increasingly common due to anthropogenic climate change and the growing number of international sports events held in warm countries. The aim of this study was to understand the physiological and psychological effects of breathing two air temperatures during cycling exercise in HHC. Ten male athletes performed two sessions of exercise in HHC (T°: 32.0 ± 0.5 °C, relative humidity: 78.6 ± 0.7%) during which they breathed hot air (HA, 33.2 ± 0.06 °C) or temperate air (TA, 22.6 ± 0.1 °C). Each session was composed of 30 min of pre-fatigue cycling at constant intensity, followed by a 10 min self-regulated performance. During pre-fatigue, TA induced a better feeling score and a lower rating of perceived effort (respectively, +0.9 ± 0.2, p < 0.05; 1.13 ± 0.21; p < 0.05) with no changes in physiological parameters. During performance, oxygen consumption and mechanical workload were increased by TA (respectively, +0.23 ± 0.1 L min⁻¹, p < 0.05 and +19.2 ± 6.1 W, p < 0.01), whereas no significant differences were observed for psychological parameters. Reducing the breathed air temperature decreased the discomfort induced by HHC during exercise and increased the performance capacity during self-regulated exercise. Thus, breathed air temperature perception is linked to the hardship of training sessions and directly contributes to the performance decrease in HHC. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Thermophysiology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

11 pages, 1307 KiB

Open AccessArticle

Relationship between Skin Temperature Variation and Muscle Damage Markers after a Marathon Performed in a Hot Environmental Condition

by Daniel Rojas-Valverde, Randall Gutiérrez-Vargas, Braulio Sánchez-Ureña, Juan Carlos Gutiérrez-Vargas and Jose I. Priego-Quesada

Life 2021, 11(8), 725; https://doi.org/10.3390/life11080725 - 21 Jul 2021

Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2175

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the effect of a marathon running at a hot environmental temperature on the baseline skin temperature (Tsk) of the posterior day and to analyze the relationship between Tsk response and muscle damage markers variation. The Tsk, creatine kinase, and lactate dehydrogenase of 16 marathon runners were assessed four times before (15 days and 45 min) and after (24 h and 6 days) a marathon in a hot environment (thermal stress index = 28.3 ± 3.3 °C and humidity ~81%). The Tsk of thirteen different body regions of both right and left lower limbs were analyzed. Higher values after the marathon were observed than 45 min before in creatine kinase (174.3 ± 136.4 UI/L < 1159.7 ± 699.7 UI/L, p < 0.01 and large effect size) and lactate dehydrogenase (362.6 ± 99.9 UI/L < 438 ± 115.5 UI/L, p = 0.02 and moderate effect size). Generally, Tsk was higher the day after the marathon than at the other three moments (e.g., rectus femoris region, 6 days before vs. the day after, 95% confidence interval of the difference (0.3, 1.6 °C), p = 0.04 and large effect size). No relationship or correlation was observed between the variation of Tsk and muscle damage markers (p > 0.05). In conclusion, performing a marathon in a hot environmental condition results in a higher Tsk the day after the marathon. This increase in Tsk could be because of the heat generated by the marathon and its subsequent physiological processes (e.g., increase in endothelial nitric oxide, glycogen resynthesis, or increase of systemic hormones), which would be reflected in the Tsk due to the peripheral vasodilation promoted by the hot environment. However, among these processes, muscle damage does not seem to be of great importance due to the lack of an observed relationship between Tsk and muscle damage markers. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Thermophysiology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

14 pages, 2189 KiB

Open AccessEditor’s ChoiceArticle

Perception of Thermal Comfort during Skin Cooling and Heating

by Igor B. Mekjavic, Daniel Yogev and Urša Ciuha

Life 2021, 11(7), 681; https://doi.org/10.3390/life11070681 - 12 Jul 2021

Cited by 9 | Viewed by 2926

Abstract

Due to the static and dynamic activity of the skin temperature sensors, the cutaneous thermal afferent information is dependent on the rate and direction of the temperature change, which would suggest different perceptions of temperature and of thermal comfort during skin heating and cooling. This hypothesis was tested in the present study. Subjects (N = 12; 6 females and 6 males) donned a water-perfused suit (WPS) in which the temperature was varied in a saw-tooth manner in the range from 27 to 42 °C. The rate of change of temperature of the water perfusing the suit (T_WPS) was 1.2 °C min⁻¹ during both the heating and cooling phases. The trial was repeated thrice, with subjects reporting their perception of the temperature and thermal comfort at each 3 °C change in T_WPS. In addition, subjects were instructed to report when they perceived T_WPS uncomfortably cool and warm during cooling and heating, respectively. Subjects reproducibly identified the boundaries of their Thermal Comfort Zone (TCZ), defined as the lower (T_low) and upper (T_high) temperatures at which subjects reported slight thermal discomfort. During the heating phase, T_low and T_high were 30.0 ± 1.5 °C and 35.1 ± 2.9 °C, respectively. During the cooling phase, the boundary temperatures of T_low and T_high were 35.4 ± 1.9 °C and 38.7 ± 2.3 °C, respectively. The direction of the change in the cutaneous temperature stimulus affects the boundaries of the TCZ, such that they are higher during cooling and lower during heating. These findings are explained on the basis of the neurophysiology of thermal perception. From an applied perspective, the most important observation of the present study was the strong correlation between the perception of thermal comfort and the behavioral regulation of thermal comfort. Although it is not surprising that the action of regulating thermal comfort is aligned with its perception, this link has not been proven for humans in previous studies. The results therefore provide a sound basis to consider ratings of thermal comfort as reflecting behavioral actions to achieve the sensation of thermal neutrality. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Thermophysiology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Other

Jump to: Editorial, Research

27 pages, 736 KiB

Open AccessSystematic Review

Short-Term Skin Temperature Responses to Endurance Exercise: A Systematic Review of Methods and Future Challenges in the Use of Infrared Thermography

by Daniel Rojas-Valverde, Pablo Tomás-Carús, Rafael Timón, Nuno Batalha, Braulio Sánchez-Ureña, Randall Gutiérrez-Vargas and Guillermo Olcina

Life 2021, 11(12), 1286; https://doi.org/10.3390/life11121286 - 24 Nov 2021

Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2717

Abstract

Background: Body temperature is often assessed in the core and the skin. Infrared thermography has been used to measure skin temperature (Tsk) in sport research and clinical practice. This study aimed to explore the information reported to date on the use of infrared thermography to detect short-term Tsk responses to endurance exercise and to identify the methodological considerations and knowledge gaps, and propose future directions. Method: A web search (PubMed, Science Direct, Google Scholar, and Web of Science) was conducted following systematic review guidelines, and 45 out of 2921 studies met the inclusion criteria (endurance sports, since 2000, English, full text available). Results: A total of 45 publications were extracted, in which most of the sample were runners (n = 457, 57.9%). Several differences between IRT imaging protocols and ROI selection could lead to potential heterogeneity of interpretations. These particularities in the methodology of the studies extracted are widely discussed in this systematic review. Conclusions: More analyses should be made considering different sports, exercise stimuli and intensities, especially using follow-up designs. Study-derived data could clarify the underlying thermo physiological processes and assess whether Tsk could be used a reliable proxy to describe live thermal regulation in endurance athletes and reduce their risk of exertional heat illness/stroke. Also more in-depth analyses may elucidate the Tsk interactions with other tissues during exercise-related responses, such as inflammation, damage, or pain. Full article

(This article belongs to the Special Issue Human Thermophysiology)

► Show Figures

Figure 1

Journal Menu

Journal Browser

Human Thermophysiology

Share This Special Issue

Special Issue Editor

Special Issue Information

Keywords

Published Papers (9 papers)

Editorial

Research

Other

Further Information

Guidelines

MDPI Initiatives

Follow MDPI