The Regulation of the Body-temperature during Work Performed with the Arms and with the Legs.

Experiments were performed in which the increase in rectal temperature was measured during ergometer exercise with the arms and with the legs. It was found that at a given output of energy, and at a given production of heat, the increase in temperature was larger with leg-work than with arm-work. Temperature measurements in the stomach showed that this difference was not due to the proximity during leg-work of the working muscles to the measuring thermocouple. Experiments with leg-work a t sea level and a t a simulated alti-tude of 4,000 m showed no difference in the temperature increase, indicating that a more anaerobic condition and a more pronounced subjective feeling of strain have no effect on the thermoregulatingcentre during work. It is concluded that the different “setting” of the heat dissi-pating centre during work with the arms and with the legs possibly is due to a different set of nervous impulses, efferent and reflex, reaching the centre during the two kinds of work.