Heart rate and blood pressure were measured on five male subjects who had performed ergometric cycling (50, 75 and 100W) in four ambient temperatures of 10, 15, 25 and 35°C.
Heart rates at rest and while cycling increased significantly with a rise in the ambient temperature, whereas systolic blood pressures decreased at rest but should no remarkable change during exercise. Indices calculated from these results were compared to estimate the subjects' capacity for physical exercise and cardiovascular function. A proposed index of fitness using heart rate counts during recovery, decreased remarkably with a rise in ambient temperature. The influence of temperature is excluded by using relative values in the estimate.
When comparing with physical capacity, it is better if cardiovascular function is measured at a standerdized temperature. If the function is measured in a different temperature, the relative values for evaluation are better than the absolute values for an estimate of physical capacity.
