Thermoregulation and marathon running: biological and environmental influences

The extreme physical endurance demands and varied environmental settings of marathon footraces have provided a unique opportunity to study the limits of human thermoregulation for more than a century. High post-race rectal temperatures (Tre) are commonly and consistently documented in marathon runners, yet a clear divergence of thought surrounds the cause for this observation. A close examination of the literature reveals that this phenomenon is commonly attributed to either biological (dehydration, metabolic rate, gender) or environmental factors. Marathon climatic conditions vary as much as their course topography and can change considerably from year to year and even from start to finish in the same race. The fact that climate can significantly limit temperature regulation and performance is evident from the direct relationship between heat casualties and Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT), as well as the inverse relationship between record setting race performances and ambient temperatures. However, the usual range of compensable racing environments actually appears to play more of an indirect role in predicting Tre by acting to modulate heat loss and fluid balance. The importance of fluid balance in thermoregulation is well established. Dehydration-mediated perturbations in blood volume and blood flow can compromise exercise heat loss and increase thermal strain. Although progressive dehydration reduces heat dissipation and increases Tre during exercise, the loss of plasma volume contributing to this effect is not always observed for prolonged running and may therefore complicate the predictive influence of dehydration on Tre for marathon running. Metabolic heat production consequent to muscle contraction creates an internal heat load proportional to exercise intensity. The correlation between running speed and Tre, especially over the final stages of a marathon event, is often significant but fails to reliably explain more than a fraction of the variability in post-marathon Tre. Additionally, the submaximal exercise intensities observed throughout 42 km races suggest the need for other synergistic factors or circumstances in explaining this occurrence. There is a paucity of research on women marathon runners. Some biological determinants of exercise thermoregulation, including body mass, surface area-to-mass ratio, sweat rate, and menstrual cycle phase are gender-discrete variables with the potential to alter the exercise-thermoregulatory response to different environments, fluid intake, and exercise metabolism. However, these gender differences appear to be more quantitative than qualitative for most marathon road racing environments.     

Effect of heat acclimation on sweat minerals

PURPOSE: This study examined the impact of 10 d of exercise-heat acclimation on sweat mineral concentrations. METHODS: Eight male subjects walked on a treadmill at 3.5 mph, 4% grade for 100 continuous minutes or until rectal temperature reached 39.5 degrees C on 10 consecutive days in an environmental chamber set at 45 degrees C, 20% relative humidity. Arm sweat samples were collected during the first 30 min of exercise-heat stress on days 1 and 10 using a polyethylene arm glove. RESULTS: Final core temperature and HR values were significantly lower (P < 0.05) on day 10 versus day 1. Whole-body sweating rates increased by approximately 6% (P = 0.12). Sweat sodium concentration on day 10 (36.22 +/- 7.22 mM) was significantly lower than day 1 (54.49 +/- 16.18 mM) (P < 0.05). Sweat mineral concentrations of calcium (approximately 29%), copper (approximately 50%), and magnesium (approximately 43%) were also significantly lower on day 10 versus day 1 of heat acclimation (P < 0.05). A trend for lower sweat iron (approximately 75%; P = 0.07) and zinc (approximately 23%; P = 0.10) concentrations were observed from day 1 to day 10. The estimated hourly sweat mineral losses (arm concentration x whole-body sweat rate) were reduced for calcium (approximately 27%), copper (approximately 46%), and magnesium (approximately 42%) (P < 0.05), but not iron (75%) or zinc (approximately 16%) (P > 0.05), from day 1 to day 10. CONCLUSION: Exercise-heat acclimation conserves arm sweat mineral concentrations and possibly whole-body sweat losses of calcium, copper, and magnesium, and may reduce sweat iron and zinc concentrations.     

表面处理对瓷牙材料机械强度影响的实验研究

目的 比较不同表面处理因素对瓷瓦材料机械强度的影响。方法 制备３００个表面均匀一致的实验标本,对抛光面进行表面处理,处理后的标本用万能实验机进行机械循环,然后用Ｐｉｓｔｏｎ－ｏｎ－ｔｈｒｅｅ ｂａｌｌ方法检查实验标本的挠屈强度。结果 双向卡方检验说明不同表面处理因素及不同循环次数对实验标本挠屈强度的影响都具有显著意义（（Ｐ〈０．０００１）;Ｑ－检验说明自然上釉、酸蚀、喷砂等表面自理和表面抛光相比,