Abstract
Nine fully acclimatized men falling in the lean, medium and obese categories of body composition were observed during heat exposure periods for four days following acclimatization decay periods of various lengths in order to determine the effects of body composition on the decay and reinduction of acclimatization. The physiological variables taken into consideration were core temperature, “DuBois” mean skin temperature, heart rate, weight loss due to perspiration and the temperature differential between the core and surface. All of the men were subjected to an acclimatization schedule of twelve daily sessions in order to insure that they were all fully acclimatized. Three decay, or non-exposure, periods of four, eight and twelve days were each followed by four days of reinduction. It was determined that body composition does not affect the rate of decay or reinduction of acclimatization, although this parameter as well as the extent of decay and the duration of the reinduction period does affect the physiological variables monitored in this study.
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