The physiological and perceptual responses of restrictive heat loss attire in hot and temperate conditions.

Abstract

Heat acclimation (HA), by definition(1), typically occurs within environmental chambers which may be impractical, precluding use of the intervention. Alternative methods to induce physiological strain sufficient to acquire the HA phenotype include hot water bathing(2), sauna use(3), and restricting evaporative heat loss before(4), or during exercise(5). PURPOSE: Investigate the efficacy of an inexpensive and practical sauna suit across hot and temperate conditions to induce equivalent physiological strain to HA. HYPOTHESIS: Wearing a sauna suit in temperate conditions would elicit similar physiological strain to that of hot conditions without a sauna suit. Temperate conditions without the sauna suit, and hot conditions with the sauna suit would elicit the least & greatest physiological strain respectively.