ABSTRACT
The heat of basal metabolism is about 1 kcal kg-1 h-1. One kcal (4.186 kJ) is the energy required to raise 1 litre of water through 1°C. The specifi c heat of human tissue is less than this fi gure, 0.83 kcal of energy being needed to raise 1 kg of tissue through 1°C. Thus if there were no avenue of heat loss, the temperature of the body would rise by 1°C per hour in an individual with body mass of about 72 kg, and within 4-6 hours death from overheating would follow. The process would be accelerated during exercise when
8.1 AIMS To provide students with an understanding • of human thermoregulation, at rest and during exercise; To describe the relevance of anthropo-• metric factors in maintaining heat balance; To outline practical exercises for the • acquisition of techniques to monitor physiological responses to heat loads.
