The effect of short and continuous absorbent patch application on local skin temperature underneath

Area of Science:

• Physiology
• Sports Science
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Absorbent patches are used for sweat collection.
• Skin temperature increase under patches is a potential issue.
• Quantifying this temperature effect is necessary for accurate data.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of absorbent sweat patches on local skin temperature.
• To quantify the skin temperature changes under different environmental conditions and application durations.

Main Methods:

• Ten healthy participants cycled for 60 minutes under temperate, hot-humid, and hot-dry conditions.
• Skin temperature was measured under absorbent patches applied for short and continuous durations.
• A control site was used for comparison on the contralateral limb.

Main Results:

• Continuous sweat patch application did not affect skin temperature in hot-humid or hot-dry conditions.
• In temperate conditions, continuous application significantly increased skin temperature (1.8 ± 0.6 °C).
• Short application of sweat patches did not significantly alter skin temperature in any condition.

Conclusions:

• Continuous sweat patch application can artifactually increase local skin temperature, particularly in temperate environments.
• Preventing prolonged, continuous patch application is recommended to avoid temperature artifacts.
• Timely patch removal is important for accurate sweat analysis in field and lab settings.