Top

European Journal of Applied Physiology

Published in:

01-12-2018 | Original Article

Sweating distribution and active sweat glands on the scalp of young males in hot-dry and hot-humid environments

Authors: Dahee Jung, Yung-Bin Kim, Jeong-Beom Lee, Ahmad Munir Che Muhamed, Joo-Young Lee

Published in: European Journal of Applied Physiology | Issue 12/2018

Abstract

Purpose

We investigated the effects of humidity on regional sweating secretion and active sweat gland density on the scalp during passive heating in hot environments.

Methods

Eight male subjects shaved their heads prior to expose to dry (30%RH; H30%) and humid (85%RH; H85%) conditions at an air temperature of 32 °C. Total sweat rate, local sweat rates (frontal, vertex, temporal, and occipital regions), active sweat glands on the scalp (2 frontal, 2 parietal, 2 temporal, 1 occipital, and 1 vertex), and rectal and skin temperatures were measured during leg immersion in 42 °C water for 60 min.

Results

(1) Total sweat rates were greater for H30% (179.4 ± 35.6 g h⁻¹) than for H85% (148.1 ± 27.2 g h⁻¹) (P < 0.05). (2) Scalp sweat secretion tended to be greater in the H85% than the H30%. (3) Head sweat rates were greater on the frontal than on the vertex for both humidity conditions (P < 0.05). (4) Active sweat gland density on the scalp was greater for H85% (82 ± 13 glands cm⁻²) than for H30% (62 ± 17 glands cm⁻²) (P < 0.05). (5) No significant difference was found in rectal temperature between H30% and H85%, whereas mean skin temperature was significantly lower for H30% (34.8 ± 0.7 °C) than for the H85% condition (36.0 ± 0.3 °C) (P < 0.05).

Conclusions

These results indicate that the thermoregulatory sweating responses for the scalp region were significantly increased in the hot-humid condition compared to the hot-dry condition. Among the regions on the scalp surface, the vertex was the least sensitive to the change in humidity.

Aisenson MR (1950) Closing of the anterior fontanelle. Pediatrics 6(2):223–226PubMed

Blair DA, Glover WE, Roddie IC (1960) Vasomotor fibres to skin in the upper arm, calf and thigh. J Physiol 153(2):232–238CrossRef

Brebner DF, Kerslake DM (1964) The time course of the decline in sweating produced by wetting the skin. J Physiol 175(2):295–302CrossRef

Brebner DF, Kerslake DM, Waddell JL (1958) The effect of atmospheric humidity on the skin temperatures and sweat rates of resting men at two ambient temperatures. J Physiol 144:299–306CrossRef

Cabanac M, Brinnel H (1988) Beards, baldness, and sweat secretion. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 58(1–2):39–46CrossRef

Candas V, Libert JP, Vogt JJ (1979) Human skin wettedness and evaporative efficiency of sweating. J Appl Physiol 46:522–528CrossRef

Candas V, Libert JP, Vogt JJ (1980) Effect of hidromeiosis on sweat drippage during acclimation to humid heat. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 44:123–133CrossRef

Che Muhamed AM, Atkins K, Stannard SR, Mündel T, Thompson MW (2016) The effects of a systematic increase in relative humidity on thermoregulatory and circulatory responses during prolonged running exercise in the heat. Temperature 3(3):455–464CrossRef

Cotter JD, Patterson MJ, Taylor NA (1995) The topography of eccrine sweating in humans during exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 71(6):549–554CrossRef

Epstein Y, Moran DS (2006) Thermal comfort and the heat stress indices. Ind Health 44:388–398CrossRef

Fox RH, Goldsmith R, Kidd DJ (1962) Cutaneous vasomotor control in the human head, neck and upper chest. J Physiol 161(2):298–312CrossRef

Froese G, Burton AC (1957) Heat losses from the human head. J Appl Physiol 10(2):235–241CrossRef

Gagge AP, Gonzalez RR (1996) Mechanisms of heat exchange: biophysics and physiology. In: Fregly MJ, Blatteis CM (eds) Handbook of physiology, section 4: environmental physiology, vol 1. Oxford University Press, New York, pp 45–84

Hammel HT, Pierce JB (1968) Regulation of internal body temperature. Annu Rev Physiol 30:641–710CrossRef

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

Havenith G, Fogarty A, Bartlett R, Smith CJ, Ventenat V (2008) Male and female upper body sweat distribution during running measured with technical absorbents. Eur J Appl Physiol 104:245–255CrossRef

Hertig BA, Riedesel ML, Belding HS (1961) Sweating in hot baths. J Appl Physiol 16(4):647–651CrossRef

Hertzman AB, Roth LW (1942) The absence of vasoconstrictor reflexes in the forehead circulation. Effects of cold. Am J Physiol 136(4):692–697

Hertzman AB, Randall WC, Peiss CN, Seckendorf R (1952) Regional rates of evaporation from the skin at various environmental temperatures. J Appl Physiol 5:153–161CrossRef

Hwang K, Baik SH (1997) Distribution of hairs and sweat glands on the bodies of Korean adults: a morphometric study. Cells Tissues Organs 158(2):112–120CrossRef

ISO 10551 (1995) Ergonomics of the thermal environment: assessment of the influence of the thermal environment using subjective judgement scales. International Organization for Standardization

Jung DJ (1994) The difference of the sweat rate and skin temperature according to environments during submaximal exercise. J Kor Soc Tan-Therm Environ Sys 1:49–54

Jung D, Kim D, Park J, Lee JY (2016) Greater body mass index is related to greater self-identified cold tolerance and greater insensible body mass loss. J Physiol Anthropol 35(1):16CrossRef

Kerslake DM (1972) The stress of hot environments. Monographs of die physiological society (No. 29). Cambridge University Press, London

Kim YB, Jung D, Park J, Lee JY (2017) Sensitivity to cutaneous warm stimuli varies greatly in the human head. J Therm Biol 69:132–138CrossRef

Kuno Y (1956) Human perspiration. Thomas, Springfield, IL

Lee JB, Kim JH (2018) Decreased thermal sweating of central sudomotor mechanism in African and Korean men. Am J Hum Biol. https://doi.org/10.1002/ajhb.23091 (in press) CrossRefPubMed

Lee JB, Shin YO (2017) Comparison of density and output of sweat gland in tropical Africans and temperate Koreans. Auton Neurosci Basic Clin 205:67–71CrossRef

Lee JY, Choi JW, Kim H (2008) Determination of body surface area and formulas to estimate body surface area using the Alginate method. J Physiol Anthropol 27(2):71–82CrossRef

Lee JY, Nakao K, Tochihara Y (2010) Chest, abdomen or back: selecting an optimum trunk region for Hardy and DuBois’ weighted mean skin temperature formula. J Hum Environ Syst 13(1):7–14CrossRef

Machado-Moreira CA, Smith FM, van den Heuvel AM, Mekjavic IB, Taylor NA (2008a) Sweat secretion from the torso during passively-induced and exercise-related hyperthermia. Eur J Appl Physiol 104(2):265–270CrossRef

Machado-Moreira CA, Wilmink F, Meijer A, Mekjavic IB, Taylor NA (2008b) Local differences in sweat secretion from the head during rest and exercise in the heat. Eur J Appl Physiol 104(2):257–264CrossRef

Machado-Moreira CA, Caldwell JN, Mekjavic IB, Taylor NA (2008c) Sweat secretion from palmar and dorsal surfaces of the hands during passive and active heating. Aviat Space Environ Med 79(11):1034–1040CrossRef

Maughan RJ, Otani H, Watson P (2012) Influence of relative humidity on prolonged exercise capacity in a warm environment. Eur J Appl Physiol 112(6):2313–2321CrossRef

Nadel ER, Stolwijk JA (1973) Effect of skin wettedness on sweat gland response. J Appl Physiol 35(5):689–694CrossRef

Nadel ER, Bullard RW, Stolwijk JA (1971) Importance of skin temperature in the regulation of sweating. J Appl Physiol 31(1):80–87CrossRef

O’Brien C, Cadarette BS (2013) Quantification of head sweating during rest and exercise in the heat. Eur J Appl Physiol 113:735–741CrossRef

Ogoh S, Sato K, Okazaki K, Miyamoto T, Hirasawa A, Morimoto K, Shibasaki M (2013) Blood flow distribution during heat stress: cerebral and systemic blood flow. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 33(12):1915–1920CrossRef

Park SJ, Lee JY (2016) Number of active sweat glands and its reliability in measurements using starch-iodine paper method. J Korean Soc Living Environ 23(5):659–667CrossRef

Patterson MJ, Galloway SD, Nimmo MA (2000) Variations in regional sweat composition in normal human males. Exp Physiol 85:869–875CrossRef

Peiss CN, Randall WC, Hertzman AB (1956) Hydration of the skin and its effect on sweating and evaporative water loss. J Investig Dermatol 26(6):459–470CrossRef

Sato K, Sato F (1983) Individual variations in structure and function of human eccrine sweat gland. Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 245(2):R203–R208CrossRef

Sato F, Owen M, Matthes R, Sato K, Gisolfi CV (1990) Functional and morphological changes in the eccrine sweat gland with heat acclimation. J Appl Physiol 69(1):232–236CrossRef

Senay JR, Leo C, Christensen M, Hertzman AB (1961) Cutaneous vasodilatation elicited by body heating in calf, forearm, cheek, and ear. J Appl Physiol 16(4):655–659CrossRef

Smith CJ, Havenith G (2011) Body mapping of sweating patterns in male athletes in mild exercise-induced hyperthermia. Eur J Appl Physiol 111(7):1391–1404CrossRef

Smith CJ, Ventenat V, Havenith G (2007) Regional sweat rates of the arms and hands in male squash players. International Conference on Environmental Ergonomics XII, p 285

Szabo G (1962) The number of eccrine sweat glands in human skin. Adv Biol Skin 3:1–5

Taylor NA, Machado-Moreira CA (2013) Regional variations in transepidermal water loss, eccrine sweat gland density, sweat secretion rates and electrolyte composition in resting and exercising humans. Extreme Physiol Med 2(1):4CrossRef

Taylor NA, Caldwell JN, Mekjavic IB (2006) The sweating foot: local differences in sweat secretion during exercise-induced hyperthermia. Aviat Space Environ Med 77(10):1020–1027PubMed

Walters TJ, Ryan KL, Constable SH (2004) Thermoregulation by rhesus monkeys at different absolute humidities. J Comp Physiol B 174(6):481–487CrossRef

Weiner JS (1945) The regional distribution of sweating. J Physiol 104:32–40CrossRef

Title: Sweating distribution and active sweat glands on the scalp of young males in hot-dry and hot-humid environments
Authors: Dahee Jung
Yung-Bin Kim
Jeong-Beom Lee
Ahmad Munir Che Muhamed
Joo-Young Lee
Publication date: 01-12-2018
Publisher: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Published in: European Journal of Applied Physiology / Issue 12/2018
Print ISSN: 1439-6319
Electronic ISSN: 1439-6327
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-018-3988-7

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Sweating distribution and active sweat glands on the scalp of young males in hot-dry and hot-humid environments

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

At a glance: The ONWARDS insulin icodec trials

Springer Medicine

Abstract

Purpose

Methods

Results

Conclusions

Please log in to get access to this content

Other articles of this Issue 12/2018

Energy expenditure associated with walking speed and angle of turn in children

Impact of maximal physical exertion on interference control and electrocortical activity in well-trained persons

β-Adrenergic receptor blockade does not modify non-thermal sweating during static exercise and following muscle ischemia in habitually trained individuals

The systemic myokine response of decorin, interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-15 (IL-15) to an acute bout of blood flow restricted exercise

The effect of hot and cold drinks on thermoregulation, perception, and performance: the role of the gut in thermoreception

Age-related reversal of spinal excitability during anticipatory postural control