The effect of two kinds of T-shirts on physiological and psychological thermal responses during exercise and recovery.
The aim of this study was to investigate the physiological and psychological responses during and after high-intensity exercise in a warm and humid environment in subjects wearing shirts of different fabrics. Eight healthy men exercised on two separate occasions, in random order, wearing two types of long-sleeve T-shirt: one made of polyester (PES) and the other of cotton fabric (CT). They performed three 20 min exercise bouts, with 5 min rest between each, and then rested in a chair for 60 min to recover. The ambient temperature was 25 °C and relative humidity was 60%. The exercise comprised of treadmill running at 8 km/h at 1° grade. Rectal temperature, skin temperatures at eight sites, heart rate, T-shirt mass and ratings of thermal, clothing wettedness, and shivering/sweating sensation were measured before the experiment, during the 5 min rest period after each exercise bout, and during recovery. Nude body mass was measured before the experiment and during recovery. The physiological stress index showed that the exercise produced a state of very high heat stress. Compared with exercise wearing the CT shirt, exercise wearing the PES fabric produced a greater sweating efficiency and less clothing regain (i.e., less sweat retention), but thermophysiological and subjective sensations during the intermittent high-intensity exercise were similar for both fabrics. However, skin temperature returned to the pre-exercise level faster, and the thermal and rating of shivering/sweating sensation were lower after exercise in the warm and humid environment in subjects wearing PES than when wearing the more traditional CT fabric.
Brazaitis
Marius
M
Department of Applied Physiology and Physiotherapy, Laboratory of Human Motorics, Lithuanian Academy of Physical Education, Sporto 6, LT-44221 Kaunas, Lithuania. kku712@yahoo.com
Kamandulis
Sigitas
S
Skurvydas
Albertas
A
Daniusevičiūtė
Laura
L
D000328:Adult; D003020:Clothing; D032561:Cotton Fiber; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology* / Q000523:psychology*; D005080:Exercise Test / Q000379:methods; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015233:Models, Statistical; D011091:Polyesters; D012881:Skin Temperature / Q000502:physiology*; D013312:Stress, Physiological / Q000502:physiology; D013909:Thorax; D055815:Young Adult
D011091:Polyesters