Thermal sensation, a key component of behavioral thermoregulation, is modulated by the changes in both skin and core temperatures. Although cutaneous thermal sensation to local cold is blunted during exercise as compared to rest in normothermic humans, it remains to be determined whether this holds true during core cooling. Furthermore, when local skin thermal sensation is diminished during exercise, it remains unclear whether whole-body thermal sensation is also attenuated. We therefore tested whether low-intensity exercise (VO₂: ~1300 ml min⁻¹) attenuates local skin and/or whole-body thermal sensation in hypothermic young males. Eleven healthy young males (24 ± 2 years) were cooled through cold water immersion (18 °C) up to their lower abdomen while resting (rest trial) and during low-intensity cycling (30–60 W, 30 rpm) (exercise trial). Body temperature, cardiorespiratory variables, and whole-body (9-point scale: 0, unbearably cold; 4, neutral; 8, unbearably hot) and local skin thermal sensation were measured at baseline on land and before the esophageal temperature (T_es) began to decrease (defined as -0.0 T_es) and after 0.5 and 1.0 °C decrements in T_es from baseline during the immersion period. Local skin thermal sensation was measured using a thermostimulator with Peltier element that was attached to the chest. The temperature of the probe was initially equilibrated to the chest skin temperature, then gradually decreased at a constant rate (0.1 °C s ^-1) until the participants felt coolness. The difference between the initial skin temperature and the local skin temperature that felt cool was assessed as an index of local skin thermal sensation. Throughout the immersions, esophageal and mean skin temperatures did not differ between the rest and exercise trials. Local skin thermal sensation also did not differ between the two trials or at any core temperature level. By contrast, the whole-body thermal sensation score was higher (participants felt less cold) in the exercise than in the rest trial at esophageal temperature of -1.0 °C (1.25 ± 0.46 vs. 0.63 ± 0.35 units, P = 0.035). These results suggest that local skin thermal sensation during low-intensity exercise is not affected by a decrease in core temperature. However, whole-body thermal sensation mediated by a decrease in core temperature (-1.0 °C) is blunted by low-intensity exercise during cold water immersion.

热感觉是行为体温调节的关键组成部分，受皮肤和核心温度的变化调节。尽管与正常体温的人类休息相比，运动期间对局部寒冷的皮肤热感觉会减弱，但仍有待确定这在核心冷却期间是否适用。此外，当运动过程中局部皮肤热感觉减弱时，全身热感觉是否也减弱尚不清楚。因此，我们测试了低强度运动 (VO ₂ : ~ 1300 ml min ^-1) 减弱体温过低的年轻男性的局部皮肤和/或全身热感觉。11 名健康的年轻男性（24 ± 2 岁）在休息时（休息试验）和低强度骑车（30-60 W，30 rpm）（运动试验）通过冷水浸泡（18°C）冷却至下腹部）。在陆地基线和食管温度 ( T _es )之前测量体温、心肺变量和全身（9 分制：0，冷得难以忍受；4，中性；8，热得难以忍受）和局部皮肤热感觉开始降低（定义为 -0.0 T _es）并且在 0.5 和 1.0 °C 之后T _es递减从浸泡期间的基线开始。使用连接到胸部的带有珀耳帖元件的热刺激器测量局部皮肤热感觉。探头的温度最初与胸部皮肤温度平衡，然后以恒定速率（0.1 °C s  ^{- 1}) 直到参与者感到凉爽。初始皮肤温度与感觉凉爽的局部皮肤温度之间的差异被评估为局部皮肤热感觉的指数。在整个浸泡过程中，食道和平均皮肤温度在休息和运动试验之间没有差异。两次试验之间或在任何核心温度水平下，局部皮肤热感觉也没有差异。相比之下，在食管温度为 -1.0°C 时，运动中的全身热感觉得分高于休息试验（参与者感觉不那么冷）（1.25 ± 0.46 vs. 0.63 ± 0.35 单位，P = 0.035）。这些结果表明，低强度运动期间的局部皮肤热感觉不受核心温度降低的影响。然而，在冷水浸泡期间，低强度运动会减弱由核心温度（-1.0°C）降低介导的全身热感觉。