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Do older females store more heat than younger females during exercise in the heat?

From National Research Council Canada

DOIResolve DOI: https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e31829d24cc
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FormatText, Article
Subjectaging, heat stress; thermoregulation; skin blood flow; sweating; calorimetry
Abstract
Introduction: Aging is associated with a reduction in the body’s capacity to dissipate heat. To date, few studies have examined age-related changes in thermoregulatory function during short exercise periods in the heat in older females. Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the effects of age on whole-body heat loss during intermittent exercise in the heat in young and older females. Methods: Direct and indirect calorimetry was used to measure whole-body evaporative heat loss (EHL), change in body heat content, and metabolic heat production. Eleven young (Y) (mean T SD age = 24 T 4 yr) and 13 older (O) (51 T 8 yr) females matched for body surface area (Y, 1.72 T 0.15; O, 1.75 T 0.12 m2) and fitness (V˙ O2max) (Y, 36.7 T 6.8 mL O2Ikgj1Iminj1; O, 33.8 T 8.0 mL O2Ikgj1Iminj1) performed four bouts of 15-min cycling (Ex1, Ex2, Ex3, and Ex4) at a constant rate of heat production (300 W) at 35-C and 20% relative humidity. Each exercise bout was separated by 15 min of rest. Results: EHL was reduced in O compared with Y during Ex1 (O, 199 T6 W; Y, 240 T9 W; P = 0.001), Ex2 (O, 238 T4 W; Y, 261 T 9 W, P = 0.023), and Ex3 (O, 249 T 4 W; Y, 274 T 11 W; P = 0.040). EHL was not different between groups during Ex4 or during the recovery periods. Older females had a greater change in body heat content compared with young females (O, 270 T 20 kJ; Y, 166 T 20 kJ; P = 0.001). Conclusion: These findings suggest that older females have a lower capacity for whole-body EHL compared with younger females during short intermittent exercise in the heat performed at a fixed rate of metabolic heat production
Publication date
PublisherAmerican College of Sports Medicine
In
  • Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise 45, no. 12: 2265–2276.
LanguageEnglish
Peer reviewedYes
NRC publication
This is a non-NRC publication

"Non-NRC publications" are publications authored by NRC employees prior to their employment by NRC.

NPARC number23001216
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Record identifier98adfd51-bfa3-4ebd-91ff-f35eb0163312
Record created2017-01-05
Record modified2020-04-22
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