[Changes in temperature and humidity at different layers inside clothing during rest, exercise, and recovery]

This paper presents the results of experiments in which we measured humidity and temperature changes that took place in different layers inside and on clothing. The experiments were conducted during rest, exercise, and recovery. During each experiment, subjects wore one of three kinds of outerwear made of three different materials, respectively. These materials were nylon taffeta (N), nylon taffeta-Goretex-nylon tricot laminated fabric (G), and polyvinylchloride-coated plain cotton fabric (V). The subjects wore an undershirt and a T-shirt under the outerwear. The humidity and the temperature were measured in the following parts of each subjects' back: (1) the layer between the subject's skin and the undershirt (first layer), (2) the layer between the undershirt and the T-shirt (second layer), (3) the layer between the T-shirt and the outerwear (third layer), and (4) the surface of the outerwear (fourth layer). We also measured the sensation of comfort, the skin temperature, the oral temperature and the degree of sweating of the subjects. The experiments were conducted in a climatic chamber under conditions of 20.7 +/- 0.4 degrees C, 61.2 +/- 3.6% RH and 2.5 +/- 0.5 cm/sec. The results we obtained were as follows: 1) While the subjects kept still, little change of humidity was observed with time in all the four layers. When the subjects were in motion, humidity increased as they started sweating. After the exercise ended, the humidity reached its maximum and then gradually decreased. 2) When subjects kept still, there was no difference in humidity in all the four layers of the outerwear.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)