| Keywords |
Firefighters ; Heat acclimatization ; Cutaneous thermal sensation ; Temperature sensitivity ; Inter-threshold sensory zone |
| Abstract |
The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in cutaneous thermal sensation thresholds and the inter-threshold sensory zone between firefighters (8 males) and non-firefighters (9 male students). The results showed that; 1) firefighters' skin temperatures on the hand and calf were higher than those of students (p<.05); 2) firefighters perceived warmth on the calf and foot at a lower skin temperature (Tsk) than students, whereas cool sensations on the hand and calf were perceived at a higher Tsk in firefighters (p<.05); 3) the sensitivity to detect warmth or coolness was greater in firefighters than in students (p<.1); 4) the most thermally insensitive body regions were the calf and foot for both warming and cooling (p<.05); 5) the difference in the inter-threshold sensory zone was particularly noticeable on the forehead (4.0±0.8°C for firefighters, 6.6±1.1°C for students, p=.073), calf (6.6±0.7°C for firefighters, 10.0±1.4°C for students, p=.061), and foot (6.0±1.2oC for firefighters, 9.9±1.2°C for students, p=.033). In summary, firefighters had a tendency to perceive warmth at a lower Tsk and coolness at a higher Tsk, faster at an identical speed of warming/cooling, and had a narrower range of the inter-threshold sensory zone than students on the extremities of the body. These findings indicate that firefighters' peripheral skin is thermally more sensitive when compared to nonfirefighters, which suggests that firefighters' skin does not manifest habituation due to long-term heat adaptation. |