Effect of training and heat acclimation on exercise responses of sedentary females

In an attempt to explain why females experience greater strain than males during exercise in the heat, we studied the responses of nine females to moderate exercise (40% VO2 max) on a cycle ergometer in a cool (16--20 degrees C, 30% rh) and a hot (45 degrees C, 30% rh) environment. Venous blood was sampled during rest, at the 40th min of exercise, and 25 min after exercise. Test runs were then performed during a 4-wk training program (phase 2) and during heat acclimation (phase 3). Except for K+, changes in plasma constituents during exercise were not altered by training or acclimation. A greater mean decrease in plasma volume occurred during exercise in a hot (11.9%) than in a cool (3.9%) environment. Plasma osmolality and protein concentration increased due to the loss of plasma water. The most striking response to training was a significant expansion of resting plasma volume (9.7%) and total protein content (11.6%). During acclimation, sweat rates increased and mean skin temperatures significantly decreased. Hemodilution reported in heat-acclimated men was not seen. The factor primarily responsible for improved cardiovascular fitness in these women during acclimation may have been the maintenance of a larger central blood volume.