Time Course of Increased Cold Tolerance Resulting from Cool Clothing in Daily Life

착의훈련을 통해 향상된 내한능력의 지속성에 대한 연구

To study the time course of increased cold tolerance, the physiological responses were measured during the course of a 2-yr study (Feb. 1995~Feb. 1996) of four female college students, whose cold tolerance was proved to be increased through wearing cool clothing in daily life from Sep. 1994 to Feb. 1995. To determine their cold tolerance, subjects rested at 25$\pm$1$^{\circ}C$, then were exposed to 15$\pm$1$^{\circ}C$, 50$\pm$5% R.H. for 90min in Feb. 1995 and Feb. 1996. Subjects' rectal temperatures, mean skin temperatures, heat production, shivering onset, thermal sensations, and comfort showed no significant changes, when they were measured in 1995 and 1996. Based on these results, we can safely assume that mild cold acclimatization coming from wearing cool clothing lasts at least oneyear, that is until the following year. One of the possible explanations for this is that the subjects did not increase their clothing thermalresistances after the cold acclimatization.