Thermoregulatory responses of middle-aged and young men during dry-heat acclimation

Thermoregulatory responses during heat acclimation were compared between nine young (mean age 21.2 yr) and nine middle-aged men (mean age 46.4 yr) who were matched (P greater than 0.05) for body weight, surface area, surface area-to-weight ratio, percent body fat, and maximal aerobic power. After evaluation in a comfortable environment (22 degrees C, 50% relative humidity), the men were heat acclimated by treadmill walking (1.56 m/s, 5% grade) for two 50-min exercise bouts separated by 10 min of rest for 10 consecutive days in a hot dry (49 degrees C ambient temperature, 20% relative humidity) environment. During the first day of heat exposure performance time was 27 min longer (P less than 0.05) for the middle-aged men, whereas final rectal and skin temperatures and heart rate were lower, and final total body sweat loss was higher (P less than 0.05) compared with the young men. These thermoregulatory advantages for the middle-aged men persisted for the first few days of exercise-heat acclimation (P less than 0.05). After acclimation no thermoregulatory or performance time differences were observed between groups (P greater than 0.05). Sweating sensitivity, esophageal temperature at sweating onset, and the sweating onset time did not differ (P greater than 0.05) between groups either pre- or postacclimatization. Plasma osmolality and sodium concentration were slightly lower for the young men both pre- and postacclimatization; however, both groups had a similar percent change in plasma volume from rest to exercise during these tests.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)