Abstract
Objective:
To verify the thermoregulatory and perceptual responses of obese and lean girls, either fit or unfit, exercising in the heat at a similar rate of metabolic heat production per unit body mass.
Methods:
A total of 34 pubescent girls were allocated in four groups: 12 obese fit, 9 obese unfit, 5 lean fit, and 8 lean unfit. The obese groups (13.2 ± 1.4 years, 40.5% ± 5.8% fat by DXA) differed in their aerobic fitness (V˙O2peak 76.0 ± 8.1 vs. 56.6 ± 5.8 mL.kg muscle mass-1.min-1), as well as the lean groups (13.1 ± 1.6 years, 24.0% ± 4.8% fat) (V˙O2peak 74.5 ± 2.9 vs. 56.2 ± 5.0 mL.kg muscle mass-1 min-1). Girls cycled two bouts of 25 min with a 10 min rest in between, at ∼5.4 W.kg-1 in the heat (36 °C and 40% relative humidity) and they were kept euhydrated. Rectal and skin temperatures and heart rate were measured every 5 min. Perceptual responses were evaluated throughout the exercise.
Results:
Initial rectal temperature was higher in the obese subjects compared to the lean subjects (37.5 ± 0.3 and 37.2 ± 0.3 °C). No difference was observed among the girls whom were obese (eight fit or unfit) and lean (also fit or unfit) throughout the exercise in rectal temperature (37.6 ± 0.2, 37.5 ± 0.3, 37.5 ± 0.3, 37.4 ± 0.3 °C, respectively), skin temperature (34.8 ± 0.8, 35.1 ± 1.0, 34.4 ± 0.9, 35.2 ± 0.9 °C), and heart rate (128 ± 18; 118 ± 12, 130 ± 16, 119 ± 16 beats min-1). No differences were observed in perceptual responses among groups.
Conclusion:
Regardless of the adiposity or aerobic fitness, pubescent girls had similar thermoregulatory and perceptual responses while cycling in the heat at similar metabolic heat production.
KEYWORDS
Exercise; Pubescent; Thermoregulation; Obesity
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