Skip to main content
Log in

Influence of relative humidity on prolonged exercise capacity in a warm environment

European Journal of Applied Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

This study examined the influence of relative humidity on endurance exercise performance in a warm environment. Eight male volunteers performed four cycle exercise trials at 70% maximum oxygen uptake until volitional exhaustion in an environmental chamber maintained at 30.2 ± 0.2°C. Volunteers were tested under four relative humidity (rh) conditions: 24, 40, 60 and 80%. Core and weighted mean skin temperature, heart rate, skin blood flow, and cutaneous vascular conductance were recorded at rest and at regular intervals during exercise. Mean ± SD time to exhaustion was 68 ± 19, 60 ± 17, 54 ± 17, and 46 ± 14 min at 24, 40, 60, and 80% rh, respectively (P < 0.001); exercise time was significantly less at 60% (P = 0.013) and 80% (P = 0.005) rh than recorded at 24% rh. There were no differences in core temperature (P = 0.480) and heart rate (P = 0.097) between trials. Core temperature at exhaustion was 39.0 ± 0.3°C at 24, 40, and 60% rh and 39.1 ± 0.3°C at 80% rh (P = 0.159). Mean skin temperature at the point of exhaustion was higher at 80% rh than at 24% rh (P < 0.001). Total sweat loss was similar between trials (P = 0.345), but sweating rate was higher at 60 and 80% rh than at 24% rh (P < 0.001). The results suggest that exercise capacity at moderate intensity in a warm environment is progressively impaired as the relative humidity increases.

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

Access this article

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

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

References

  • Amann M, Hopkins WG, Marcora SM (2008) Similar sensitivity of time to exhaustion and time-trial time to changes in endurance. Med Sci Sports Exerc 40:574–578

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Armstrong LE (2000) Performing in extreme environments. Human Kinetics, Champaign, p 21

    Google Scholar 

  • Backx K, McNaughton L, Crickmore L, Palmer G, Carlisle A (2000) Effects of differing heat and humidity on the performance and recovery from multiple high intensity intermittent exercise bouts. Int J Sports Med 21:400–405

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bainbridge FA (1919) The physiology of muscular exercise. Longmans, Green and Co, London, p 177

    Google Scholar 

  • Borg GA (1982) Psychophysical bases of perceived exertion. Med Sci Sports Exerc 14:377–381

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Byrne C, Lee JW, Chew SN, Lim CL, Tan EM (2006) Continuous thermoregulatory response to mass-participation distance running in heat. Med Sci Sports Exerc 38:803–810

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cabanac M (2006) Sensory pleasure optimizes muscular work. Clin Invest Med 29:110–116

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cabanac M, Stolwijk JAJ, Hardy JD (1968) Effect of temperature and pyrogens on single-unit activity in the rabbit’s brain stem. J Appl Physiol 24:645–652

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cabanac M, Massonet B, Belaiche R (1971) Preferred skin temperature as a function of internal and mean skin temperature. J Appl Physiol 33:699–703

    Google Scholar 

  • Carter JM, Jeukendrup AE, Mundel T, Jones DA (2003) Carbohydrate supplementation improves moderate and high-intensity exercise in the heat. Pflugers Arch 446:211–219

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cheung SC (2010) Interconnections between thermal perception and exercise capacity in the heat. Scand J Med Sci Sports 20(Suppl 3):53–59

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Cheuvront SN, Kenefick RW, Montain SJ, Sawka MN (2010) Mechanisms of aerobic performance impairment with heat stress and dehydration. J Appl Physiol 109:1989–1995

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Dill DB, Costill DL (1974) Calculation of percentage changes in volumes of blood, plasma, and red cells in dehydration. J Appl Physiol 37:247–248

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dill DB, Edwards HT, Bauer PS, Levenson EJ (1931) Physical performance in relation to external temperature. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol 4:508–518

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Ely MR, Cheuvront SN, Roberts WO, Montain SJ (2007) Impact of weather on marathon-running performance. Med Sci Sports Exerc 39:487–493

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Fuller A, Carter RN, Mitchell D (1998) Brain and abdominal temperatures at fatigue in rats exercising in the heat. J Appl Physiol 84:877–883

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Galloway SDR, Maughan RJ (1997) Effects of ambient temperature on the capacity to perform prolonged cycle exercise in man. Med Sci Sports Exerc 29:1240–1249

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Galloway SDR, Maughan RJ (2000) The effects of substrate and fluid provision on thermoregulatory and metabolic responses to prolonged exercise in a hot environment. J Sports Sci 18:339–351

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • González-Alonso J, Crandall CG, Johnson JM (2008) The cardiovascular challenge of exercising in the heat. J Physiol 586:45–53

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • Hardy JD (1970) Thermal comfort: skin temperature and physiological thermoregulation. In: Hardy JD, Gagge AP, Stolwijk JAJ (eds) Physiological and behavioral temperature regulation. Springfield, III, Thomas, pp 856–873

    Google Scholar 

  • Kiyatkin EA, Sharma HS (2009) Permeability of the blood-brain barrier depends on brain temperature. Neuroscience 161:926–939

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lange KL, Little RJA, Taylor JMG (1989) Robust statistical modeling using the t-distribution. J Am Stat Assoc 84:881–896

    Google Scholar 

  • Maughan RJ, Shirreffs SM, Leiper JB (2007) Errors in the estimation of sweat loss and changes in hydration status from changes in body mass during exercise. J Sports Sci 25:797–804

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  • McCann DJ, Adams WC (1997) Wet-bulb globe temperature index and performance in competitive distance runners. Med Sci Sports Exerc 29:955–961

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen M (1938) Die regulation der korpertemperatur bei muskelarbeit. Skand Arch Physiol 79:193–230

    Google Scholar 

  • Nielsen B, Hales JR, Strange S, Christensen NJ, Warberg J, Saltin B (1993) Human circulatory and thermoregulatory adaptations with heat acclimation and exercise in a hot, dry environment. J Physiol 460:467–485

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Niwa K, Nakayama T (1978) Thermoregulation during exercise in high humidity environments (in Japanese with English abstract) Jpn. J Phys Fit Sport 27:11–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Nybo L, Nielsen B (2001) Middle cerebral artery blood velocity is reduced with hyperthermia during prolonged exercise in humans. J Physiol 534:279–286

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Otani H, Kaya M, Tsujita J, Hori K, Hori S (2006) Low levels of hypohydration and endurance capacity during heavy exercise in untrained individuals. J Therm Biol 31:186–193

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Parkin JM, Carey MF, Zhao S, Febbraio MA (1999) Effect of ambient temperature on human skeletal muscle metabolism during fatiguing submaximal exercise. J Appl Physiol 86:902–908

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Parsons KC (2003) Human thermal environments (second edition). Taylor and Francis, London, pp 284–286

    Google Scholar 

  • Pitsiladis Y, Maughan RJ (1999) The effects of exercise and diet manipulation on the capacity to perform prolonged exercise in the heat and cold in trained humans. J Physiol 517:919–930

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pugh LGCE, Corbett JL, Johnson RH (1967) Rectal temperatures, weight losses and sweat rates in marathon running. J Appl Physiol 23:347–352

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ramanathan LM (1964) A new weighting system for mean surface temperature of the human body. J Appl Physiol 19:531–532

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Robinson S, Turrell ES, Gerking SD (1945) Physiologically equivalent conditions of air temperature and humidity. Am J Physiol 143:21–32

    Google Scholar 

  • Saltin B, Karlsson J (1971) Muscle glycogen utilization during work of different intensities. In: Pernow B, Saltin B (eds) Muscle metabolism during exercise. Plenum Press, New York, pp 289–300

    Google Scholar 

  • Sawka MN, Latzka WA, Montain SJ, Cadarette BS, Kolka MA, Kraning KK, Gonzalez RR (2001) Physiologic tolerance to uncompensable heat: intermittent exercise, field vs. laboratory. Med Sci Sports Exerc 33:422–430

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schlader ZJ, Prange HD, Mickleborough TD, Stager JM (2009) Characteristics of the control of human thermoregulatory behavior. Physiol Behav 98:557–562

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Stensrud T, Berntsen S, Carlsen KH (2006) Humidity influences exercise capacity in subjects with exercise-induced bronchoconstriction (EIB). Respir Med 100:1633–1641

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Tatterson AJ, Hahn AG, Martin DT, Febbraio MA (2000) Effects of heat stress on physiological responses and exercise performance in elite cyclists. J Sci Med Sport 3:186–193

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Watson P, Hasegawa H, Roelands B, Piacentini MF, Looverie R, Meeusen R (2005) Acute dopamine/noradrenaline reuptake inhibition enhances exercise performance in warm, but not temperate conditions. J Physiol 565:873–883

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Webb P (1995) The physiology of heat regulation. Am J Physiol 268:R838–R850

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wilson WM, Maughan RJ (1992) A role for serotonin in the genesis of fatigue in man: administration of a 5-hydroxytryptamine reuptake inhibitor (Paroxetine) reduces the capacity to perform prolonged exercise. Exp Physiol 77:921–924

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Ronald J. Maughan.

Additional information

Communicated by George Havenith.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Maughan, R.J., Otani, H. & Watson, P. Influence of relative humidity on prolonged exercise capacity in a warm environment. Eur J Appl Physiol 112, 2313–2321 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-011-2206-7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-011-2206-7

Keywords

Navigation