Body Size and Heat Tolerance: A Computer Simulation

Document Type

Article

Authors

Donald M. Austin, Southern Methodist University and Human Research Management, Richardson, TX
Michael W. Lansing, Southern Methodist University and Universidad Autonoma de Guadalajara, Guadalajara, Mexico

Abstract

The relationship between measures of body size and heat tolerance in humans has been the subject of numerous studies over the past several decades. Correlations of body size between populations and climates in which they live tend to support an inverse relationship between body size and heat tolerance. However, laboratory and field studies using small numbers of human subjects have been ambiguous. In the present study a mathematical simulation of human thermoregulation was applied to four sets of data representing varying body sizes. All four “reference models” were used in simulated laboratory heat stress and two were used in simulated natural environment heat stress. The results suggest that, under all but extreme heat loads, a weak but consistent positive relationship exists between surface area to weight ratio (SA/W) and heat tolerance. Under extremely hot, humid conditions, when there is little possibility of heat loss from the body, the relationship becomes negative.

Recommended Citation

Austin, Donald M. and Lansing, Michael W. (1986) "Body Size and Heat Tolerance: A Computer Simulation," Human Biology: Vol. 58: Iss. 2, Article 3.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.wayne.edu/humbiol/vol58/iss2/3