Abstract
Skin temperatures on 10 sites and rectal temperature at every 10 minutes, oxygen consumption at every 20 minutes were measured on 18 male subjects (ages between 14 and 47 years) after exposure to cold air at $15^{\circ}C$ for two hours in a climatic room. Total body fat measured by means of a skinfold method and ratio of body surface area (S) to body volume (V), S/V, were utilized as basis of observations. Surface area was calculated after DuBois equation and body volume was calculated by our original formula. In influencing on the heat loss from the body core to the cold environment, % fat showed inverse relations, whereas, S/V ratio showed direct relations. Thus these two factors acted antagonistically on the body heat loss. Local skin temperatures showed negative correlations with skinfold thickness on the same site, nemaly, on chest, r=-.567; on back, r=-.507; and on upper arm, r=-.353. The other 7 skin sites showed low correlations with % fat. Minimum mean weighted skin temperature (MWST) showed a negative correlation (r=-.443) with % fat, and showed no correlation with S/V ratio. Oxygen consumption in the cold air at $15^{\circ}C$ increased from the first measurement at 20 minutes after exposure and maintained the same increasing trend up to 120 minutes. ${\Delta}T_R$ was greater in tile lean subjects who showed a greater % change in oxygen consumption. The antagonistic actions of % fat and S/V ratio on the heat loss were manifested by observations as follows: minimum rectal temperature was higher In fat subjects (r=.600) and lower in subjects with a greater S/V ratio (=-.582), ${\Delta}T_R$ was smaller in fat subjects (r=-.738) and greater in subjects with a greater S/V ratio (r=.618). Temperature difference between body core and skin surface (minimum rectal temperature minus minimum MWST) showed a positive correlation with % fat (r=.600) and a negative correlation with S/V ratio (r=-.881). Decrease in the mean body temperature and heat debt, respectively, showed negative correlations with % fat and positive correlations with S/V ratio.