Interindividual differences in thermal comfort and the responses to skin cooling in young women

• Published in: Journal of thermal biology Vol. 37; no. 1; pp. 65 - 71
• Main Authors: Yasuoka, Ayako, Kubo, Hiroko, Tsuzuki, Kazuyo, Isoda, Norio
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Ltd 2012
• Subjects: Biology; Chambers; Climate; Cooling; Cooling effects; Preferred temperature; Skin temperature; Tantalum; Thermal comfort; Thermal sensation; Thermal sensitivity; Thermoregulatory responses; Vasoconstriction; Thermoregulatory responses; Preferred temperature; Thermal sensitivity; Thermal sensation; Skin temperature; Vasoconstriction
• ISSN: 0306-4565; 1879-0992
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2011.10.012

The present study aims to understand the effects of interindividual differences in thermal comfort on the relationship between the preferred temperature and the thermoregulatory responses to ambient cooling. Thirteen young women subjects chose the preferred ambient temperature (preferred T a) in a climate chamber and were categorized into the H group (preferring ≥29 °C; n=6) and the M group (preferring <29 °C; n=7). The H group preferred warmer sensations than the M group ( P<0.05) and the average of preferred T a was 27.6 °C and 30.2 °C in the M group and H group, respectively. Then all subjects were exposed to temperature variations in the climate chamber. During T a variations from 33 °C to 25 °C, the H group felt colder than the M group, although no difference was noted in the T sk (mean skin temperature) and T s-hand between the 2 groups. From the view of the relationship between the T sk and thermal sensation, although the thermal sensitivity to the T sk was almost similar in the H and M groups, the H group might have lower threshold to decreasing T a than the M group. ► We measured the thermoregulatory responses to ambient cooling. ► Subjects were the young females who preferred high (H group) and medium (M group) temperature. ► During decreasing temperature, no difference was noted in the mean skin temperature. ► However, the H group felt colder than the M group. ► Sensory threshold to temperature variations differ in M and H groups.