ACUTE EXPOSURE OF HUMAN SUBJECTS TO AN AMBIENT TEMPERATURE OF 10 °C

Abstract

Acute exposures to cold (10 °C) for 1 hour were carried out in early April on five unclothed healthy male subjects to follow their shivering responses, oxygen consumption, ventilation, skin and oral temperatures. Exposure to the cold resulted in immediate (within 5 minutes) and sustained increases in oxygen consumption, ventilation, and heat production. These subjects did not show generalized shivering, however, until after 30 minutes of exposure, even though short bursts of shivering were noted before this time. The immediate increase in heat production without shivering is indicative of a non-shivering thermogenesis which may be the result of cold-acclimatization in these subjects. Seasonal acclimatization would be maximal at the time of year during which the experiments were carried out.