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Maximum rate of sweat ions reabsorption during exercise with regional differences, sex, and exercise training

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Abstract

Purpose

It is recently reported that determining sweat rate (SR) threshold for increasing galvanic skin conductance (GSC) would represent a maximum rate of sweat ion reabsorption in sweat glands. We evaluate the maximum rate of sweat ion reabsorption over skin regions, sex, and long-term exercise training by using the threshold analysis in the present study.

Methods

Ten males (2 untrained, 4 sprinters, and 4 distance runners) and 12 females (5 untrained, 4 sprinters, and 3 distance runners) conducted graded cycling exercise for 45 min at low, middle, and high exercise intensities (heart rate 100–110, 120–130, and 140–150 beats/min, respectively) for 10, 15, and 20 min, respectively, at 30 °C and 50% relative humidity. Comparisons were made between males and females and among untrained individuals, distance runners, and sprinters on the back and forearm.

Results

SR threshold for increasing GSC on back was significantly higher than that of forearm (P < 0.05) without any sex differences (back 0.70 ± 0.08 and 0.61 ± 0.04, forearm 0.40 ± 0.05 and 0.45 ± 0.06 mg/cm2/min for males and females, respectively). Distance runners and sprinters showed higher SR threshold for increasing GSC than that of untrained subjects on back (P < 0.05) but not on forearm (back 0.45 ± 0.06, 0.83 ± 0.06, and 0.70 ± 0.04, forearm 0.33 ± 0.04, 0.49 ± 0.02, and 0.39 ± 0.07 mg/cm2/min for untrained subjects, distance runners, and sprinters, respectively).

Conclusion

These results suggest that the maximum sweat ion reabsorption rate on the back is higher than that of forearm without sex differences. Furthermore, exercise training in distance runners and sprinters improves the maximum sweat ion reabsorption rate on the back.

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Abbreviations

ANOVA:

Analysis of variance

GSC:

Galvanic skin conductance

HR:

Heart rate

\(\dot{V}{\text{O}}_{2\hbox{max} }\) :

Maximal oxygen uptake

T b :

Mean body temperature

\(\bar{T}_{\text{sk}}\) :

Mean skin temperature

RPE:

Rating of perceived exertion

T re :

Rectal temperature

T sk :

Skin temperature

SEM:

Standard error of the mean

SR:

Sweat rate

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Acknowledgements

We thank our volunteers for participating in this study.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory for Applied Human Physiology, Graduate School of Human Development and Environment, Kobe University, Kobe, Japan

    Tatsuro Amano, Nicola Gerrett & Narihiko Kondo

  2. Faculty of Education, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan

    Tatsuro Amano

  3. Laboratory for Human Performance Research, Osaka International University, 6-21-57 Tohda-cho, Moriguchi, Osaka, 570-8555, Japan

    Megumi Hirose, Kana Konishi & Yoshimitsu Inoue

  4. Osaka Shin-ai College, Osaka, Japan

    Hiroyuki Ueda

Authors
  1. Tatsuro Amano
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  2. Megumi Hirose
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  3. Kana Konishi
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  4. Nicola Gerrett
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  5. Hiroyuki Ueda
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  6. Narihiko Kondo
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  7. Yoshimitsu Inoue
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Contributions

Conception and design of research was undertaken by TA, MH, KK, and YI, data collection and analyses was undertaken by TA, MH, KK, and YI, the manuscript was drafted by TA, NG, HU, NK, and YI, and all authors (TA, MH, KK, NG, HU, NK, and YI) contributed to data interpretation, editing and revision of manuscript, and approved the final version.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Yoshimitsu Inoue.

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Conflict of interest

The authors declare that they have no competing interest.

Grants

This study was supported by a Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (No. 23247046, 16H04851) from the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science, and Technology of Japan.

Additional information

Communicated by George Havenith.

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Amano, T., Hirose, M., Konishi, K. et al. Maximum rate of sweat ions reabsorption during exercise with regional differences, sex, and exercise training. Eur J Appl Physiol 117, 1317–1327 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-017-3619-8

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-017-3619-8

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