Background: Although thermoregulation is effective in regulating body temperature under normal conditions, exercise or physical activity in extreme cold or heat exerts heavy stress on the mechanisms that regulate body temperature. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of environmental temperature on physiological responses and endurance exercise capacity during submaximal and maximal exercises in healthy adults.
Methods: Nine male soccer players participated in this study. In this study, three environmental temperatures were set at 10 ± 1°C, 22 ± 1°C, and 35 ± 1°C with the same humidity (60 ± 10%). The participants cycled for 20 minutes at 60% maximum oxygen uptake (60% VO2max), and then exercise intensity was increased at a rate of 0.5 kp/2 min until exhaustion at three different environmental conditions.
Results: Oxygen uptake and heart rate were lower in a moderate environment (22 ± 1°C) than in a cool (10 ± 1°C) or hot (35 ± 1°C) environment at rest and during submaximal exercise, and were higher during maximal exercise (p < 0.05). Minute ventilation was lower at 22 ± 1°C than at 10 ± 1°C or 35 ± 1°C at rest and during submaximal exercise, and no significant differences were observed in minute ventilation during maximal exercise (p < 0.05). Blood lactate concentrations were lower at 22 ± 1 °C than at 10 ± 1°C or 35 ± 1°C at rest and during submaximal exercise, and were higher during maximal exercise (p < 0.05). Time to exhaustion during exercise was longer at 22 ± 1°C than at 10 ± 1°C or 35 ± 1°C (p < 0.05).
Conclusion: It is concluded that physiological responses and endurance exercise capacity are impaired under cool or hot conditions compared with moderate conditions, suggesting that environmental temperature conditions play an important role for exercise performance.
Keywords: environmental temperature; heart rate; oxygen uptake; time to exhaustion; ventilation.