We tested the hypotheses that thermoregulatory behavior is initiated before changes in blood pressure and that skin blood flow upon the initiation of behavior is reflex mediated. Ten healthy young subjects moved between 40 C and 17 C rooms when they felt 'too warm' (W!C) or 'too cool' (C!W). Blood pressure, cardiac output, skin and rectal temperatures were measured. Changes in skin blood flow between locations were not different at 2 forearm locations. One was clamped at 34 C ensuring responses were reflex controlled. The temperature of the other was not clamped ensuring responses were potentially local and/or reflex controlled. Relative to pre-test Baseline, skin temperature was not different at C!W (33.5 § 0.7 C, P D 0.24), but was higher at W!C (36.1 § 0.5 C, P < 0.01). Rectal temperature was different from Baseline at C!W (¡0.2 § 0

We tested the hypothesis that increases in blood pressure are sustained throughout 15 min of face cooling. Two independent trials were carried out. In the Face-Cooling Trial, 10 healthy adults underwent 15 min of face cooling where a 2.5-liter bag of ice water (0 ± 0°C) was placed over their cheeks, eyes, and forehead. The Sham Trial was identical except that the temperature of the water was 34 ± 1°C. Primary dependent variables were forehead temperature, mean arterial pressure, and forearm vascular resistance. The square root of the mean of successive differences in R-R interval (RMSSD) provided an index of cardiac parasympathetic activity. In the Face Cooling Trial, forehead temperature fell from 34.1 ± 0.9°C at baseline to 12.9 ± 3.3°C at the end of face cooling ( P < 0.01). Mean arterial pressure increased from 83 ± 9 mmHg at baseline to 106 ± 13 mmHg at the end of face cooling ( P < 0.01). RMSSD increased from 61 ± 40 ms at baseline to 165 ± 97 ms during the first 2 min of face cooling ( P ≤ 0.05), but returned to baseline levels thereafter (65 ± 49 ms, P ≥ 0.46). Forearm vascular resistance increased from 18.3 ± 4.4 mmHg·ml−1·100 g tissue−1·min at baseline to 26.6 ± 4.0 mmHg·ml−1·100 g tissue−1·min at the end of face cooling ( P < 0.01). There were no changes in the Sham Trial. These data indicate that increases in blood pressure are sustained throughout 15 min of face cooling, and face cooling elicits differential time-dependent parasympathetic and likely sympathetic activation.

New Findings r What is the central question of this study?Do increases in metabolic heat production and sweat rate precede the initiation of thermoregulatory behaviour in resting humans exposed to cool and warm environments? r What is the main finding and its importance?Thermoregulatory behaviour at rest in cool and warm environments is preceded by changes in vasomotor tone in glabrous and non-glabrous skin, but not by acute increases in metabolic heat production or sweat rate. These findings suggest that sweating and shivering are not obligatory for thermal behaviour to be initiated in humans.We tested the hypothesis that acute increases in metabolic heat production and sweating precede the initiation of thermoregulatory behaviour in resting humans exposed to cool and warm environments. Twelve healthy young subjects passively moved between 17 and 40°C rooms when they felt 'too cool' (C→W) or 'too warm' (W→C). Skin and internal (intestinal) temperatures, metabolic heat production, local sweat rate (forearm and chest) and cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC; forearm and fingertip) were measured continually. Compared with pretest baseline (31.8 ± 0.3°C), skin temperature was higher at C→W (32.0 ± 0.7°C; P = 0.01) and W→C (34.5 ± 0.5°C; P < 0.01). Internal temperature did not differ (P = 0.12) between baseline (37.2 ± 0.3°C), C→W (37.2 ± 0.3°C) and W→C (37.0 ± 0.3°C). Metabolic heat production was not different from baseline (40 ± 9 W m −2 ) at C→W (39 ± 7 W m −2 ; P = 0.50). Forearm (0.06 ± 0.01 mg cm −2 min −1 ) and chest (0.04 ± 0.02 mg cm −2 min −1 ) sweat rate at W→C did not differ from baseline (forearm, 0.05 ± 0.02 mg cm −2 min −1 and chest, 0.04 ± 0.02 mg cm −2 min −1 ; P ࣙ 0.23). Forearm CVC was not different from baseline (0.30 ± 0.21 perfusion units (PU) mmHg −1 ) at C→W (0.24 ± 0.11 PU mmHg −1 ; P = 0.17), but was higher at W→C (0.65 ± 0.33 PU mmHg −1 ; P < 0.01). Fingertip CVC was different from baseline (2.6 ± 2.0 PU mmHg −1 ) at C→W (0.70 ± 0.42 PU mmHg −1 ; P < 0.01) and W→C (4.49 ± 1.66 PU mmHg −1 ; P < 0.01). Thermoregulatory behaviour at rest in cool and warm environments is preceded by changes in vasomotor tone in glabrous and non-glabrous skin, but not by acute increases in metabolic heat production or sweat rate.

We tested the hypotheses that older adults with cardiovascular co-morbidities will demonstrate greater changes in body temperature and exaggerated changes in blood pressure before initiating thermal behavior. We studied twelve healthy younger adults (Younger, 25 ± 4 y) and six older adults ('At Risk', 67 ± 4 y) taking prescription medications for at least two of the following conditions: hypertension, type II diabetes, hypercholesterolemia. Subjects underwent a 90-min test in which they voluntarily moved between cool (18.1 ± 1.8°C, RH: 29 ± 5%) and warm (40.2 ± 0.3°C, RH: 20 ± 0%) rooms when they felt 'too cool' (C→W) or 'too warm' (W→C). Mean skin and intestinal temperatures and blood pressure were measured. Data were analyzed as a change from pretest baseline. Changes in mean skin temperature were not different between groups at C→W (Younger: +0.2 ± 0.8°C, 'At Risk': +0.7 ± 1.8°C, P = 0.51) or W→C (Younger: +2.7 ± 0.6°C, 'At Risk': +2.9 ± 1.9°C, P = 0.53). Changes in intestinal temperature were not different at C→W (Younger: 0.0 ± 0.1°C, 'At Risk': +0.1 ± 0.2, P = 0.11), but differed at W→C (-0.1 ± 0.2°C vs. +0.1 ± 0.3°C, P = 0.02). Systolic pressure at C→W increased (Younger: +10 ± 9 mmHg, 'At Risk': +24 ± 17 mmHg) and at W→C decreased (Younger: -4 ± 13 mmHg, 'At Risk': -23 ± 19 mmHg) to a greater extent in 'At Risk' (P ≤ 0.05). Differences were also apparent for diastolic pressure at C→W (Younger: -2 ± 4 mmHg, 'At Risk': +17 ± 23 mmHg, P < 0.01), but not at W→C (Younger Y: +4 ± 13 mmHg, 'At Risk': -1 ± 6 mmHg, P = 0.29). Despite little evidence for differential control of thermal behavior, the initiation of behavior in 'at risk' older adults is preceded by exaggerated blood pressure responses.