Dose-dependent nonthermal modulation of whole body heat exchange during dynamic exercise in humans

To maintain heat balance during exercise, humans rely on skin blood flow and sweating to facilitate whole body dry and evaporative heat exchange. These responses are modulated by the rise in body temperature (thermal factors), as well as several nonthermal factors implicated in the cardiovascular response to exercise (i.e., central command, mechanoreceptors, and metaboreceptors). However, the way these nonthermal factors interact with thermal factors to maintain heat balance remains poorly understood. We therefore used direct calorimetry to quantify the effects of dose-dependent increases in the activation of these nonthermal stimuli on whole body dry and evaporative heat exchange during dynamic exercise. In a randomized crossover design, eight participants performed 45-min cycling at a fixed metabolic heat production (200 W/m²) in warm, dry conditions (30°C, 20% relative humidity) on four separate occasions, differing only in the level of lower-limb compression applied via bilateral thigh cuffs pressurized to 0, 30, 60, or 90 mmHg. This model provoked increments in nonthermal activation while ensuring the heat loss required to balance heat production was matched across trials. At end-exercise, dry heat loss was 2 W/m² [1, 3] lower per 30-mmHg pressure increment (P = 0.006), whereas evaporative heat loss was elevated 5 W/m² [3, 7] with each pressure increment (P < 0.001). Body heat storage and esophageal temperature did not differ across conditions (both P ≥ 0.600). Our findings indicate that the nonthermal factors engaged during exercise exert dose-dependent, opposing effects on whole body dry and evaporative heat exchange, which do not significantly alter heat balance.NEW & NOTEWORTHY To maintain heat balance during exercise, humans rely on skin blood flow and sweating to facilitate dry and evaporative heat exchange. These responses are modulated by body temperatures (thermal factors) and several nonthermal factors (e.g., central command, metaboreceptors), although the way thermal and nonthermal factors interact to regulate body temperature is poorly understood. We demonstrate that nonthermal factors exert dose-dependent, opposing effects on dry and evaporative heat loss, without altering heat storage during dynamic exercise.