ABSTRACT
This chapter covers the latest understanding of human thermoregulation system and comfort. The roles of body core temperature and skin temperature are first summarized. Then the neurophysiological mechanisms of human thermoregulation system, including thermoreceptors, their functions in stimuli detection and signal transmission, and responses of thermoeffectors, are described. Subsequently, heat balance and heat exchange in a human-clothing-environment system is presented for revealing the internal and external factors affecting human thermoregulation systems. Consequences of the human thermoregulation system, including thermal physiological responses and thermal comfort, are discussed. Afterward, heat stress and heat strain in connection to firefighting and climate change are briefly reviewed. Finally, two other important aspects affecting comfort sensation are presented: sensorial comfort and movement comfort. Sensorial comfort focuses on varied evaluation methods of fabric physical properties that could impact overall comfort sensations. These methods are mainly on fabric level. Movement comfort examines comfort sensations on clothing system level from the perspective of ease allowance provided by the garments and the equipment worn.
