title: Dynamic thermography: analysis of hand temperature during exercise.
abstract: Exercise has a noted effect on skin blood flow and temperature. We aimed to characterize the normal skin temperature response to exercise by thermographic imaging. A study was conducted on ten healthy and active subjects (age=25.8+/-0.7 years) who were exposed to graded exercise for determination of maximal oxygen consumption (VO2 max), and subsequently to constant loads corresponding to 50%, 70%, and 90% of VO2 max. The skin temperature response during 20 min of constant load exercise is characterized by an initial descending limb, an ascending limb and a quasi-steady-state period. For 50% VO2 max, the temperature decrease rate was - 0.0075+/-0.001 degrees C/s during a time interval of 390+/-47 s and the temperature increase rate was 0.0055+/-0.0031 degrees C/s during a time interval of 484+/-99 s. The level of load did not influence the temperature decrease and increase rates. In contrast, during graded load exercise, a continuous temperature decrease of -0.0049+/-0.0032 degrees C/s was observed throughout the test. In summary, the thermographic skin response to exercise is characterized by a specific pattern which reflects the dynamic balance between hemodynamic and thermoregulatory processes.
authors.affiliation: The Heart System Research Center, The Julius Silver Institute of Biomedical Engineering, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, Haifa.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Zontak
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sideman
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Verbitsky
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Beyar
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001698:Biomedical Engineering; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005080:Exercise Test; D006225:Hand; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D012867:Skin / Q000098:blood supply; D012881:Skin Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D013817:Thermography / Q000379:methods*; D013997:Time Factors