Research of Interindividual Differences in Physiological Response under Hot-Dry and Warm-Wet Climates

Abstract

Somatotype and habitus parameters may affect physiological control system, so the changes of physiological parameters are not the same when various people work in hot-dry and warm-wet climates. In this paper, a chamber built in Tianjin University was used to simulate comfortable, hot-dry and warm-wet climates. Sixty healthy university students were selected as subjects who were divided into four groups based on somatotype and habitus differences. The subjects were asked to exercise on a treadmill at moderate and heavy work intensities. Physiological parameters (rectal temperature and heart rate) were measured after every 10-min work in the climate chamber. For different groups, the change trends of physiological parameters were different. With the enhancement of experimental conditions, the differences among four groups were weakened. Body surface area per unit of body mass (BSA/mass), percentage of body fat (%fat), and maximum oxygen consumption per unit of body mass (VO 2max /mass) were adopt to establish a revised body characteristic index (RBCI). RBCI was proved having significant correlation with physiological parameters, which means RBCI as the combined factors of somatotype and habitus parameters can be applied to evaluate the effect of individual characteristics on physiological systems.

The Effects of High-Temperature Weather on Human Sleep Quality and Appetite

“…In actual life, a high-temperature environments is common when hot weather occurs [2]. In some places, such as school classrooms, student dormitories, security pavilion and remote places, air conditioners are not offered, people have to stay in these places for a long time and their sleep quality and appetite are adversely affected by high temperatures [5,6,7]. Furthermore, insufficient sleep may lead to frequent accidental injuries and huge economic losses [1], and the decreased appetite may cause weight loss or malnutrition, thus finally affecting health [8].…”