Effects of human head hair on performance and thermoregulatory responses during 10-km outdoor running in healthy men.
No Thumbnail Available
Date
2016
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of human head hair on
performance and thermoregulatory responses during 10-km outdoor running in healthy
men. Twelve healthy males (29.5 ± 3.7 years, 174.9 ± 4.3 cm, 72.7 ± 3.2 kg and VO2max
44.6 ± 3.4 ml.kg-1.min-1) participated in two self-paced outdoor 10-km running trials
separated by 7 days: 1) HAIR, subjects ran with their natural head hair; 2) NOHAIR,
subjects ran after their hair had been totally shaved. Average running velocity was calculated
from each 2-km running time. Rectal temperature, heart rate and physiological
strain index were measured before and after the 10-km runs and at the end of each 2 km.
The rate of heat storage was measured every 2 km. The environmental stress (WBGT)
was measured every 10 min. The running velocity (10.9 ± 1 and 10.9 ± 1.1 km.h-1), heart
rate (183 ± 10 and 180 ± 12 bpm), rectal temperature (38.82 ± 0.29 and 38.81 ± 0.49oC),
physiological strain index (9 ± 1 and 9 ± 1), or heat storage rate (71.9 ± 64.1 and 80.7 ±
56.7 W.m-1) did not differ between the HAIR and NOHAIR conditions, respectively
(p>0.05). There was no difference in WBGT between the HAIR and NOHAIR conditions
(24.0 ± 1.4 and 23.2 ± 1.5ºC, respectively; p=0.10). The results suggest that shaved
head hair does not alter running velocity or thermoregulatory responses during 10-km
running under the sun.
Description
Keywords
Body temperature regulation, Solar radiation, Velocity
Citation
MARTINI, A. R. P. et al. Effects of human head hair on performance and thermoregulatory responses during 10-km outdoor running in healthy men. Revista Brasileira de Cineantropometria & Desempenho Humano, v. 18, p. 155-165, 2016. Disponível em: <http://www.scielo.br/scielo.php?script=sci_arttext&pid=S1980-00372016000200155>. Acesso em: 29 ago. 2017.