Summary
Well matched unacclimatised older (age 55–68, 4 women, 2 men) and younger (age 19–30, 4 women, 2 men) subjects performed 75 min cycle exercise (∼40%\(\dot V_{{\text{O}}_{{\text{2max}}} } \)) in a hot environment (37°C, 60% rh). Rectal temperature (T re), mean skin temperature (¯T sk), arm blood flow (ABF, strain gauge plethysmography), and cardiac output (Q, CO2 rebreathing) were measured to examine age-related differences in heat-induced vasodilatation.T re and¯T sk rose to the same extent in each group during the exposure. There was no significant intergroup difference in sweat rate (older: 332±43 ml · m−2 · h−1, younger: 435±49 ml · m−2 · h−1; mean±SEM). However, the older subjects responded to exercise in the heat with a lower ABF response which could be attributed to a lower\(\dot Q\) for the same exercise intensity. The slope of the ABF-T re relationship was attenuated in the older subjects (9.3±1.3 vs 17.9±3.3 ml · 100 ml−1 · min−1 · °C−1,p <0.05), but theT re threshold for vasodilatation was about 37.0°C for both groups. These results suggest an altered control of skin vasodilatation during exercise in the heat in older individuals. This attenuated ABF response appears to be unrelated to\(\dot V_{{\text{O}}_{{\text{2max}}} } \), and may reflect an age-related change in thermoregulatory cardiovascular function.
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Kenney, W.L. Control of heat-induced cutaneous vasodilatation in relation to age. Europ. J. Appl. Physiol. 57, 120–125 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00691250
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00691250