VARIATIONS OF SKIN TEMPERATURE UNDER VARIOUS TEMPERATURE CONDITIONS AFTER THE EXPOSURE OF THE RIGHT HAND PALM TO COLD WATER

in the cases of sportsmen

Abstract

Health of human-beings and all of their daily activities are maintained by an interaction with their enviroment. This study examined which variation or which response might be prodused on the body by temperature which is an element of the environment. After exposing a part of the subject's body to the cold, we reexposed the part to various temperature conditions. And mainly by analyz- ing variations of skin temperature we tried to investigate a change which might occur to the body of sportsmen.
The subjects were 5 male students in good health who are active sportsmen. The palm of thier right hand was soaked in cold water at 1±0.5°C for five minutes. Immediately after that, the palm was reexposed for thirty minutes to:
1. room temperature
2. water at 25°C
3. water at 35°C
4. water at 45°C
As to these 4 cases we examined the variations of heart rate, blood pressure and skin temperature of the body parts which covered 11 points. And thorough observing how the above three factors recovered we tried to investigate the effect on the circulatory system as well. The experiment was made for eight days from 5th to 12th in November, 1984 according to the specific measurement.
The results are summarized as follows.
1) Heart rate had a tendency to become highest in Case 4 when the palm was reexposed to water at 45°C. This may result from the increase of peripheral blood flow following the environmen tal change.
2) In Case 1 when the palm was reexposed to room temperature, skin temperature showed a plateau at the early stage of its recovery in some students, but it showed a quick recovery in other students. The former had higher heart rate and higher blood pressure than the latter significantly (P<0.001). This may result from the difference of their sports and sports history. And furthermore, an efficiency of the peripheral circulation might be involved in the results complicatedly.
3) Skin temperature of the body parts other than the right hand was found to be similar in tendency to that of the right hand only in Case 4. But the similar tendency on the opposite side of the body was found only in the peripheral parts such as the limbs.
4) Skin temperature of the forehead showed a complex variation. This can be assumed to be a protective response against the body stress of a partial exposure because the forehead is near the center of temperature control.