Oxygen consumptions were measured at various levels of work up to the individual's maximum. At submaximal work they were significantly lower in heat than in comfortable temperatures, but maximum oxygen intakes were not significantly different. In comfortable conditions cardiac output and A-V difference both contributed to rise in oxygen intake during submaximal work. At maximal effort increase in arteriovenous difference accounted for the ultimate rise in oxygen intake. Both heart rate and stroke volume contributed to increase in cardiac output up to 1.0 liters/min oxygen intake; above this heart rate was the sole factor. In heat the major change in hemodynamics was an increase in heart rate with an associated fall in stroke volume. Neither cardiac output nor arteriovenous difference was significantly altered from comfortable conditions. “Excess” lactate occurred at significantly lower levels of work in heat than in comfortable conditions. Working muscles were therefore relatively more anoxic in heat at submaximal work, and this accounted for lower oxygen intakes. At maximal work the degree of anoxia was the same in both temperature conditions. Submitted on August 22, 1961

No abstract

Heat reactions of 20 Caucasian and 22 Bantu males were compared, first in the unacclimatized state and then in the acclimatized state. The study was conducted at temperatures of 90 F wet-bulb and 93 F dry-bulb at a work rate of 1 liter O2/min consumption. The performances of the unacclimatized Bantu were superior to those of the Caucasians. All 22 Bantu completed the 4-hr experiment, while 10 Caucasians failed. The mean rectal temperature of the Bantu was significantly lower than that of the Caucasians, but not the mean heart rate and mean sweat rate. When both groups were highly acclimatized all men from both groups completed the 4-hr experiment, and their reactions to heat were significantly different from their reactions in the unacclimatized state. Sweat rates, particularly, increased very much. The differences between the two highly acclimatized groups in rectal temperatures, heart rates, and sweat rates (except the 4th hr) were not significant. Although superior in the unacclimatized state, the Bantu does not appear to have an inherent advantage in the ability to regulate the body temperature. Caucasians versus Bantu in reactions to heat; physiological reactions in exposure to heat Submitted on August 19, 1963

The management of the mine at Mount Isa, Queensland, Australia decided to enquire into the following questions with regard to men working underground in hot conditions: (a) Which of the various heat stress indices predicts most accurately the effects on workmen of the various heat stress factors which occur in the mine at Mount Isa? (b) How best should the limits of heat stress be judged at which the normal 8-hour shift should be reduced to a 6-hour shift, or at which work should be stopped? With these objects in mind, oral temperatures were measured on 86 workmen after three hours of ordinary work in the mine and also on 36 occasions on 29 volunteers after three hours of stepping on and off a stool at a work rate of 1,560 ft. lb./min. These men were studied in different environmental heat stresses over the range that occurs in the mine. Dry bulb air temperatures (D.B.), wet bulb temperatures (W.B.), velocity of air movements, and globe temperatures (G.T.) were measured in the micro-climate in which each man worked. An estimate was made of the work rate of the 86 workmen. From these estimates and measurements, the predicted 4-hourly sweat rate (P4SR) and corrected effective temperature (C.E.T.) values were determined for each heat stress condition. P4SR values varied between 0·9 and 6·5 and C.E.T. between 70° and 95°F. Correlation coefficients were calculated between oral temperatures and W.B.s, C.E.T.s, and P4SRs and are 0·51, 0·64, and 0·75 respectively. Further analysis was confined to C.E.T. and P4SR. Plots of oral temperature on P4SR for conditions where G.T. was more than 10°F. above D.B. were found to fall well below the rest of the plots, indicating that P4SR exaggerates the effect of mean radiant temperature. These data were therefore excluded from the rest of the analysis. Regression equations were calculated for oral temperature on P4SR and for oral temperature on C.E.T. for (a) men `on the job', for (i) conditions where D.B. was more than 10°F. above W.B. and (ii) for conditions where D.B. was less than 10°F. above W.B., and (b) for men `stepping'. This analysis showed that one overall regression line can be used for all three conditions for oral temperature on P4SR, but for oral temperature on C.E.T. at least two different regression lines would be needed. Also the correlation coefficients between oral temperature and P4SR were generally higher than between oral temperature and C.E.T. For the prediction of oral temperature in the mine at Mount Isa the P4SR index is to be preferred to the C.E.T. scale. These results indicate that the emphasis given to G.T. in the P4SR index is too great. A multi-variance analysis of the P4SR index shows that, in the middle of the range of heat stress conditions examined, a unit change in P4SR would be obtained by about the same change in W.B. and G.T. This is at variance with the present results and also with the experimental findings of the M.R.C. Climatic Physiology Unit at Singapore. It appears, therefore, that the P4SR index should be revised in this regard. When ...

New physiological criteria are put forward for setting the limits for men at work in hot conditions. They are based upon the fact that the curves relating rectal temperatures to conductances and rectal temperatures to sweat rates have two components. One is where the increases in the sweat rates and conductances, with rise in rectal temperature, are relatively large, i.e., there is a “sensitive” range of control; the second is where the curves of sweat rates and conductances against rectal temperatures reach asymptotes, i.e., become “saturated.” The upper limit of the sensitive range is a rectal temperature of 100.5 F (38.1 C), and the saturated range begins at rectal temperatures of 102.5 F (39.4 C). These concepts explain the “easy,” “difficult,” or “excessive” ranges of conditions of the Fort Knox and Human Sciences Laboratory studies. The great advantage of these criteria over others proposed is that the extent of the physiological strain on the workmen can be assessed, directly and simply, by a measurement of oral or rectal temperatures during the shift, and from these results limits for work can be set for work at specific hot jobs. assessment of the extent of physiological strain on workmen in heat; determination of physiological limits for work in hot conditions; sensitive and saturated control ranges in man's temperature regulation; relationships between rectal temperature and conductance and rectal temperature and sweat rate Submitted on March 20, 1964

Maximum oxygen intake per kilogram body weight of Caucasian, Bantu, and Bushmen males in a similar state of physical training are not significantly different, being about 48 ml/min kg. This figure is similar to that of Robinson's Negro sharecroppers and to the U. S. Army recruits of Taylor et al. Very highly trained men, i.e., Åstrand's gymnasts and international class athletes, have higher values. Landy's is 76 ml/min kg. Sedentary existence reduces this figure to about 40 ml/min kg. Oxygen consumption plotted against work rate is significantly lower for Bantu men than for Caucasian; Bushmen are like the Bantu. Ventilation volume (BTPS) plotted against oxygen consumption is about 30 liters/ liter oxygen consumption at 6,000 ft altitude, compared with 20.6 liters for Åstrand's men at sea level. Submitted on July 1, 1962

Fifty-two groups of about 20 men each were exposed for 5 hr to various combinations of work rate, environmental temperature, and wind velocity. Hourly observations were made of oxygen intake and oral and rectal temperatures. Oral/rectal temperature differences increased significantly with time only under those conditions where steady-state responses were not achieved. Increasing wind velocity from 50 to 400 cm/sec, raising air temperatures from 27 to 36 C, and combinations of these factors had no significant influence on the difference between the recorded temperatures. The main contributing factor to oral/rectal temperature difference is work rate. Increasing energy consumption from 2.5 to 9.0 Cal/min resulted in a rectilinear increase in average difference from 0.5 to 1.1 C. A warning is expressed against the indiscriminate use of oral temperatures in work and heat studies influence of work and heat stress on oral/rectal temperature differences; oral versus rectal temperatures Submitted on May 18, 1964

No abstract