Acclimatization strategies--preparing for exercise in the heat.
More than 200 years ago, in 1768, Lind in his monograph: "An assay on diseases incidental to Europeans in hot climate" pointed out that habituation to hot climates reduced the danger to health. Two centuries later, Lind and Bass in a classical study which was carried out under hot/dry climatic conditions (49 degrees C and 20% rh) demonstrated that the adaptation to heat may be described as the series of physiological adjustments that occur when a person who is accustomed of living in a cool environment is transferred to a hot climate. This adaptation is a process which is fully achieved after 10 to 14 days of exposure to heat, but two thirds or even 75% of the adaptation is obtained already within 5 days (1). According to this study improved tolerance to heat is related to typical physiological changes: heightened sweating response, lowered heart rate, and lowered rectal temperature during exercise in the heat.
Shapiro
Y
Y
Heller Institute of Medical Research, Sheba Medical Center, Tel Hashomer, Israel.
Moran
D
D
Epstein
Y
Y
D000064:Acclimatization / Q000502:physiology*; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D002980:Climate; D004734:Energy Metabolism / Q000502:physiology; D004777:Environment; D004907:Erythrocyte Deformability / Q000502:physiology; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D006813:Humidity; D012039:Regional Blood Flow / Q000502:physiology; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D013546:Sweating / Q000502:physiology; D013997:Time Factors