Acclimation to humid heat lowers resting core temperature

The purpose of this study was to test the hypothesis that a reduction in resting rectal temperature (Tre) is partially responsible for the attenuation in the rise of core temperature during the heat exposure following acclimation to humid heat. Nine male volunteers completed 7 days of acclimation, performing 2 h of exercise per day in a hot, humid environment (35 degrees C, 75% relative humidity). Mean (+/- SD) ending Tre significantly (P < 0.05) decreased from 38.9 +/- 0.5 degrees C on day 1 to 38.3 +/- 0.4 degrees C on day 7. Likewise, mean (+/- SD) resting Tre significantly (P < 0.05) decreased from 37 +/- 0.3 to 36.7 +/- 0.4 degrees C. In fact, all nine men showed a decrease in resting Tre from day 1 to day 7, ranging from -0.1 to -0.5 degrees C. In addition, resting Tre and ending Tre were significantly correlated (r = 0.68). However, the mean increases in Tre (ending Tre minus resting Tre) and heat storage that occurred on each of the 7 acclimation days were not significantly different. These results support the hypothesis that a reduction in resting Tre is partially responsible for the attenuation in ending Tre during heat exposure following short-term acclimation to humid heat.