Thermal Imaging of Exercise-Associated Skin Temperature Changes in Trained and Untrained Female Subjects

Abstract

Heat dissipation during sport exercise is an important physiological mechanism that may influence athletic performance. Our aim was to test the hypothesis that differences exist in the dynamics of exercise-associated skin temperature changes between trained and untrained subjects. We investigated thermoregulation of a local muscle area (muscle-tendon unit) involved in a localized steady-load exercise (standing heels raise) using infrared thermography. Seven trained female subjects and seven untrained female controls were studied. Each subject performed standing heels raise exercise for 2 min. Thermal images were recorded prior to exercise (1 min), during exercise (2 min), and after exercise (7 min). The analysis of thermal images provided the skin temperature time course, which was characterized by a set of descriptive parameters. Two-way ANOVA for repeated measures detected a significant interaction (p = 0.03) between group and time, thus indicating that athletic subjects increased their skin temperature differently with respect to untrained subjects. This was confirmed by comparing the parameters describing the speed of rise of skin temperature. It was found that trained subjects responded to exercise more quickly than untrained controls (p < 0.05). In conclusion, physical training improves the ability to rapidly elevate skin temperature in response to a localized exercise in female subjects.

Has kinesio tape a thermal effect on sprint cycling performance? A thermographic study.

“…The use of infrared thermography in the study of human thermoregulation associated to physical exercise is increasing [7][8][9][10]. Recently, Priego Quesada and colleagues conducted a study for investigating the effect of graduated compressive stockings on skin temperature in runners using infrared thermography [8].…”

“…Therefore, the aim of the present study was to investigate the immediate effect of kinesio taping application on vastus lateralis and vastus medialis on Tsk of rectus femoris by infrared thermography [7] before and after a sprint performance on a cycle ergometer. It was hypothesized that the kinesio taping application would result in an increment of the skin temperature of the rectus femoris, probably reflecting an increment in sprint performance.…”

Comparison of image analysis methods in skin temperature measurements during physical exercise

“…Several authors measured skin temperatures during exercise in different parts of the human body: dorsal hand during office work [1], total body during running exercise [1], dorsal hand during cycling exercise [2], seven area on trunk during breathing exercise [3] and calves during resistance exercise [4]. These studies focused on the skin temperature response to physical exercise in different categories of subjects such as trained/untrained and old/young.…”

“…For physiological purpose in exercise-associated skin temperature investigations, as already proposed by [4], it is important to specify the method used to calculate the temperature value representative of the area of interest. One method based on maximal temperature was used in order to evaluate the skin temperature of calves during and after exercise [4], and a method comparison study was recently performed at rest condition [7]. The aim of this study was to compare the Troi method [widely used in literature] with the Tmax method [7] in the evaluation of skin temperature during exercise.…”

Use of infrared thermography as a tool to monitor skin temperature along the recovery process of an anterior cruciate ligament surgery

“…Infrared thermography was used more than thirty years ago in sport injuries to detect the temperature of the tissues involved (Keyl & Lenhart, 1975b), and now, with new technologies, many new studies every year are being launched (Formenti et al, 2013;Fournet et al, 2013;Perez et al, 2003;Piñonosa et al, 2013;Yabroudi & Irrgang, 2013). The thermographic camera records the heat emission from the skin surface (T sk ).…”