Thermoregulatory response of women to intermittent work in the heat

Seven women worked intermittently in three randomly ordered sessions at 75% Vo2max at three temperatures, 28 degrees C (45% rh) 35 degrees C (65% rh), and 48 degrees C (10% rh) and recovered in a cool environment (22 degrees C) after each 6-min work period. Although Tre was higher in each successive work period, the ambient temperature had no effect on the cardiovascular or respiratory responses or on deltaTre. In all conditions SV decreased with time with a concomitant increase in HR to maintain Q. A fall in mean blood pressure from the initial to final measurement was due entirely to a decrease in diastolic pressure. The final Tre for these women was approximately equal to that previously reported for men working continuously for 1 h under conditions equivalent to time-weighted average of the thermal and metabolic loads during work and recovery in this study.