Different thermal conditions of the extremities affect thermoregulation in clothed man.

The effects of different types of clothing on human deep body temperature were studied with six healthy male subjects in a supine posture. Two clothing ensembles were employed for the present study: A covered the whole body area with garments except the face (1.97 clo) and B covered only the trunk and the upper half of the extremities with garments (1.53 clo). The experiment was carried out in a climatic chamber at 55% +/- 5% relative humidity under cooling and warming temperatures: the temperature was changed from 22 degrees C to 10 degrees C (cooling) and returned to 22 degrees C again (warming). The major findings were: rectal temperature (T(re)) continued to decrease gradually in A throughout the experiment, whereas in B it increased during cooling, and returned to previous levels during warming. As a result, T(re) and chest skin temperature were maintained at a higher level in B than in A. Internal tissue conductances were greater in A than in B both during cooling and during warming. Thermal comfort appeared to have been influenced more by the rate of skin temperature change than by the level of skin temperature per se. It was concluded that peripheral vasoconstriction in B induced less heat flow from core to shell, and, thus, the core temperature was maintained at a higher level in B than in A.