Abstract
Anthropometric measurements and measurements of sweating reaction during exercise were made on 11 young male highlanders in Beha Village at al titude between 1, 500 meters and 1, 800 meters above sea level in Papua New Guinea in August and 11 young male Japanese in Nishinomiya City in September. Measurements of local sweat rate and sodium concentration in local sweat during pedalling a bicycle ergometer at a constant work load of 450 Kg·m/min for 20 min. under a thermoneutral condition were made. New Guineans were significantly shorter in height, slightly lighter in body weight and had a lesser amount of body fat than Japanese. New Guineans showed significantly greater mean values of Rohrer's index and Brugsch's index than Japanese. Skinfold thickness for New Guineans was significantly thinner than that for Japanese. Physically New Guineans were more muscular and athletic when compared with Japanese. New Guineans showed considerably lower local sweat rate and significantly lower Na concentration in local sweat than Japanese. Differences in anthropometric characteristics and sweating reactions between New Guineans and Japanese might reflect more advanced acclimatization to hot environments in New Guineans when compared with Japanese.
