2000 Volume 51 Issue 7 Pages 587-593
This study was performed to investigate the thermo-physiological responses of the foot in order to obtain fundamental data for designing footwear. The skin temperature, skin blood flow of the foot and rectal temperature of 20 healthy female students were measured in a climatic chamber controlled at an ambient temperature (Ta) of 22, 28 or 34°C and a relative humidity of 50% RH. The results are as follows.
1) The mean of skin temperatures of the foot were 29.9±1.2, 33.3±1.0 and 36.1± 0.5°C at Ta 22, 28 and 34°C, respectively. The regional and individual differences of skin temperature tended to become large in exposed cold environments, while they were small in exposed hot environments. The skin temperature of the toes and the heel decreased remarkably while exposed to Ta 22°C.
2) The skin blood flow was almost constant under the conditions of 22 and 28°C, while it increased in all subjects when they were exposed to the 34°C condition.
3) Physiological responses of the foot are classified into three types in a cold environment. Type I is of good vasoconstriction which causes the skin temperature to fall but the rectal temperature to remain constant. Type II is of strong vasoconstriction, which causes both the skin temperature and rectal temperature to decrease. Type III is of poor vasoconstriction, which causes the rectal temperature to decrease.
The results suggested that thermo-physiological responses of the foot influenced temperature-regulation of the whole body and heating or cooling of the foot would be an important factor in determining the health and comfort sensation of the whole body.
