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Relationship between electrical skin resistance and rectal temperature in man during physical exercise
Acta Physiologica Polonica
|May 1, 1984
Summary
Electrical skin resistance (ESR) dynamics during exercise can estimate thermal effects. This study found ESR changes correlate with rectal temperature increases in exercising subjects.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Human Thermoregulation
- Biomedical Engineering
Background:
- Understanding human physiological responses to exercise is crucial for performance optimization and health.
- Electrical skin resistance (ESR) is a potential indicator of physiological changes, but its dynamics during exercise require further investigation.
- Previous research has linked sweating to changes in ESR, but its specific relationship with core body temperature during exertion is less defined.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the dynamic changes in electrical skin resistance (ESR) during submaximal bicycle exercise.
- To explore the relationship between the time constants of ESR changes and rectal temperature (Tre) increases in unacclimated individuals.
- To determine the utility of ESR dynamics for estimating thermal effects in exercising humans.
Main Methods:
- 13 unacclimated subjects performed bicycle exercise at 50% VO2max.
- Electrical skin resistance (ESR) and rectal temperature (Tre) were continuously monitored.
- Exponential curve fitting was used to analyze the dynamic parameters of ESR response, including delay and time constant.
Main Results:
- ESR decreased exponentially after a 4-minute delay, with a time constant of 9 minutes.
- The dynamic parameters of ESR were found to be shorter than those typically reported for sweating responses.
- A significant positive correlation (r = 0.705, p < 0.01) was observed between individual ESR time constants and increases in rectal temperature.
Conclusions:
- The dynamic changes in electrical skin resistance during exercise provide valuable insights into thermoregulatory responses.
- ESR measurement offers a potentially useful, non-invasive method for estimating thermal effects in individuals undergoing physical exertion.
- Further research could explore ESR dynamics in different exercise intensities and acclimatization states.
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