Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Relative importance of different surface regions for thermal comfort in humans

  • Original Article
  • Published:
European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

In a previous study, we investigated the contribution of the surface of the face, chest, abdomen, and thigh to thermal comfort by applying local temperature stimulation during whole-body exposure to mild heat or cold. In hot conditions, humans prefer a cool face, and in cold they prefer a warm abdomen. In this study, we extended investigation of regional differences in thermal comfort to the neck, hand, soles, abdomen (Experiment 1), the upper and lower back, upper arm, and abdomen (Experiment 2). The methodology was similar to that used in the previous study. To compare the results of each experiment, we utilized the abdomen as the reference area in these experiments. Thermal comfort feelings were not particularly strong for the limbs and extremities, in spite of the fact that changes in skin temperature induced by local temperature stimulation of the limbs and extremities were always larger than changes that were induced in the more proximal body parts. For the trunk areas, a significant difference in thermal comfort was not observed among the abdomen, and upper and lower back. An exception involved local cooling during whole-body mild cold exposure, wherein the most dominant preference was for a warmer temperature of the abdomen. As for the neck and abdomen, clear differences were observed during local cooling, while no significant difference was observed during local warming. We combined the results for the current and the previous study, and characterized regional differences in thermal comfort and thermal preference for the whole-body surface.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arens E, Zhang H, Huizenga C (2006a) Partial- and whole-body thermal sensation and comfort—Part I: Uniform environmental conditions. J Therm Biol 31:53–59

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Arens E, Zhang H, Huizenga C (2006b) Partial- and whole-body thermal sensation and comfort—Part II: Non-uniform environmental conditions. J Therm Biol 31:60–66

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Attia M, Engel P (1982) Thermal pleasantness sensation: an indicator of thermal stress. Eur J Appl Physiol 50:55–70

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Attia M, Engel P, Hildebrandt G (1980) Quantification of thermal comfort parameters using a behavioural indicator. Physiol Behav 24:901–909

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bisgard JD, Nye D (1940) The influence of hot and cold application upon gastric and intestinal motor activity. Surg Gynecol Obstet 71:172–180

    Google Scholar 

  • Cabanac M (1971) Physiological role of pleasure. Science 173:1103–1107

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Chatonnet J, Cabanac M (1965) The perception of thermal comfort. Int J Biometeorol 9:183–193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cotter JD, Taylor NA (2005) The distribution of cutaneous sudomotor and alliesthesial thermosensitivity in mildly heat-stressed humans: an open-loop approach. J Physiol 565:335–345

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gagge AP, Gonzalez RR (1996) Mechanisms of heat exchange: biophysics and physiology in environmental physiology. In: anonymous handbook of physiology, Oxford University Press, New York, pp 45–84

  • Hardy JD, DuBois EF (1938) The technic of measuring radiation and convection. J Nutr 15:461–475

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hensel H (1981) Thermoreception and temperature regulation. Academic Press, London

    Google Scholar 

  • Hosono T, Takashima Y, Morita Y, Nishimura Y, Sugita Y, Isami C, Sakamoto I, Tagami K, Hidaka Y, Suzuki A (2010) Effects of a heat- and steam-generating sheet on relieving symptoms of primary dysmenorrhea in young women. J Obstet Gynaecol Res 36:818–824

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Kuno S, Ohno H, Nakahara N (1987) A two-dimensional model expressing thermal sensation in transitional conditions. ASHRAE Trans 93:396–406

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuntz A (1945) Anatomic and physiologic properties of cutaneo-visceral vasomotor reflex arcs. J Neurophysiol 8:421–429

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kuntz A, Haselwood LA (1940) Circulatory reactions in the gastrointestinal tract elicited by localized cutaneous stimulation. Am Heart J 20:743–749

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Marks LE, Stevens JC, Bartoshuk LM, Gent Jf, Rifkin B, Stone VK (1988) Magnitude-matching: the measurement of taste and smell. Chem Senses 13:63–87

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Maruyama Y, Tamura T (1989) Responses of skin temperature and thermal sensation to unevenly distributed thermal stimuli. Jpn J Biometeor 26:143–154

    Google Scholar 

  • Morrison P (1966) Insulative flexibility in the guanaco. J Mammal 47:18–23

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Mower GD (1976) Perceived intensity of peripheral thermal stimuli is independent of internal body temperature. J Comp Physiol Psychol 90:1152–1155

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nakamura M, Esaki H, Yoda T, Yasuhara S, Kobayashi A, Konishi A, Osawa N, Nagashima K, Crawshaw LI, Kanosue K (2006) A new system for the analysis of thermal judgments: multipoint measurements of skin temperatures and temperature-related sensations and their joint visualization. J Physiol Sci 56:459–464

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Nakamura M, Yoda T, Crawshaw LI, Yasuhara S, Saito Y, Kasuga M, Nagashima K, Kanosue K (2008) Regional differences in temperature sensation and thermal comfort in humans. J Appl Physiol 105:1897–1906

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Sato A (1997) Neural mechanisms of autonomic responses elicited by somatic sensory stimulation. Neurosci Behav Physiol 27:610–621

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Yao Y, Lian Z, Liu W, Shen Q (2008) Experimental study on physiological responses and thermal comfort under various ambient temperatures. Physiol Behav 93:310–321

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zhang H, Huizenga C, Arens E, Wang D (2004) Thermal sensation and comfort in transient non-uniform thermal environments. Eur J Appl Physiol 92:728–733

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

This study was partly supported by the Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research No. 18659062 and Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B) No. 19700483 from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan, and by Waseda University Global COE Program, “Sport Sciences for the Promotion of Active Life”.

Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Faculty of Sport Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan

    Mayumi Nakamura, Momoko Kasuga & Kazuyuki Kanosue

  2. Faculty of Human Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan

    Mayumi Nakamura, Yuki Uchida & Kei Nagashima

  3. Sport Sciences for the Promotion of Active Life, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan

    Ken Tokizawa, Kei Nagashima & Kazuyuki Kanosue

  4. Institute of Applied Brain Sciences, Waseda University, Tokorozawa, Saitama, Japan

    Kei Nagashima

  5. Faculty of International Liberal Arts, Dokkyo University, Soka, Saitama, Japan

    Tamae Yoda

  6. Department of Biology, Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA

    Larry I. Crawshaw

  7. Department of Behavioural Neuroscience, Oregon Health and Science University, Portland, OR, USA

    Larry I. Crawshaw

  8. Advanced Research Center for Human Sciences, Waseda University, 2-579-15 Mikajima, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-1192, Japan

    Mayumi Nakamura

Authors
  1. Mayumi Nakamura
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Tamae Yoda
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Larry I. Crawshaw
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Momoko Kasuga
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  5. Yuki Uchida
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  6. Ken Tokizawa
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  7. Kei Nagashima
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  8. Kazuyuki Kanosue
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Mayumi Nakamura.

Additional information

Communicated by Narihiko Kondo.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Nakamura, M., Yoda, T., Crawshaw, L.I. et al. Relative importance of different surface regions for thermal comfort in humans. Eur J Appl Physiol 113, 63–76 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-012-2406-9

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-012-2406-9

Keywords

Search

Navigation