Understanding the human heat stress response using whole-body calorimetry

长时间暴露于高温环境/过程和/或进行剧烈运动会使身体发热，导致体内温度显著升高。为了抵消这种增加，强大和高度发达的行为和自主体温调节反应被激活，以增强全身热损失。独立于热损失反应的热控制，越来越多的证据表明，非热因素[与身体感觉感受器（压力感受器，代谢感受器等）的激活有关的因素]，以及个人因素（性别、年龄、水合作用和适应状况等）。会对人体在热应激期间的散热能力产生深远的影响。我的NSERC研究计划旨在了解热应激期间这些因素的单独和综合贡献。我正在研究身体热损失反应的非热调节机制，使用我的世界上唯一的全身热量计（一种非常精确地测量身体发出的热量的设备）来测量身体散热能力的变化，从而测量热应变水平。 到目前为止，我基于热量测量的研究使我能够在我们对人类热应激反应的理解方面取得新的重要进展。从这项工作中获得的知识是推动我的团队开发先进解决方案和技术的基础，这些解决方案和技术用于解决受热暴露问题影响的许多行业（采矿，电力公用事业等）和专业职业（消防员，战士等）所面临的现实挑战。这包括：（1）开发一种改进的方法来估计个人的热压力水平，（2）协助工业界开发新的工作制服，提供必要的保护，免受恶劣环境的影响，同时确保最佳散热，（3）开发新的个人冷却系统选项和技术，（4）制定针对具体工作的工作-休息时间表，以管理热压力，（5）其他。 作为这笔赠款的一部分获得的资金将用于更换老化的机械部件，这些部件对我们的热量计的运行至关重要。新技术将帮助我们实现对环境条件的最高控制水平，并将使我们首次能够进行涉及湿度和温度快速变化的斜坡协议。这将使我们能够显着提高我们的业务能力（通过更密切地模拟工作环境中的现实世界条件），这将大大有利于我们的研究能力，并提高我们的研究工作的影响。 此外，通过与我们的行业合作伙伴合作，热量计将用于开发和测试便携式监测系统，该系统将确定工人何时面临与热有关的伤害风险。

Prolonged exposure to hot environments/processes and or performing strenuous exercise can heat the body causing significant increases in internal body temperature. To offset this increase powerful and highly developed behavioral and autonomic thermoregulatory responses are activated to enhance whole-body heat loss. Independent of thermal control of heat loss responses, there is increasing evidence demonstrating that nonthermal factors [those associated with the activation of the body's sensory receptors (baroreceptors, metaboreceptors, etc.) as well as personal factors (sex, aging, hydration and acclimation status, etc.) can have profound consequences on the body's ability to dissipate heat during heat stress. My NSERC study program is directed at understanding the separate and combined contribution of these factors during heat stress. I am studying the mechanisms underlying the nonthermal modulation of the body's heat loss response using my world's only whole-body calorimeter (a device for making very precise measurements of the heat emitted by the body) to measure changes in the body's capacity to dissipate heat and therefore the level of thermal strain. To date, my calorimetry based studies have allowed me to make new and important advancements in our understanding of human heat stress response. The knowledge gained from this work serves as the foundation driving my team’s development of advanced solutions and technologies used to address real-world challenges faced by many industries (mining, electric utilities, others) and professional occupations (firefighters, warfighters, others) impacted by heat exposure issues. This has included 1) the development of an improved approach to estimate an individual’s level of heat stress, 2) assisting industry in developing new work uniforms that provide the necessary protection from the harsh environment while ensuring optimal heat dissipation, 3) the development of new personal cooling system options and technologies, 4) the establishment of job-specific work-rest schedules for the management of heat stress, and 5) others. Funds obtained as part of this grant will be used to replace the aging mechanical components that are critical and integral for the operation of our calorimeter. The newer technologies will help us achieve the highest possible level of control of ambient conditions and will allow us for the first time to conduct ramping protocols involving rapid changes in humidity and temperature. This will allow us to significantly increase our operational capabilities (by more closely simulating real-world conditions in a work environment) which will greatly benefit our research capacity and enhance the impact of our research work. Moreover, in partnership with our industry partners, the calorimeter will be used to develop and test a portable monitoring system that would define when a worker is at risk of a heat-related injury.