Effect on performance of cycling deep body temperature between 37.0 and 37.6 degrees C

Abstract

Previous experiments (1.2) showed that performance of of a pursuit rotor task is worse during heating than during cooling at deep body temperatures of 37.9-38.5 degrees C. Performance of the same task and of a manikin task has now been studied in a similar experiment while core temperature was cycled between 37.0 and 37.6 degrees C. No change in performance was observed between heating and cooling. It is concluded that decrements in performance during heating only develop above a critical absolute level of deep body temperature. The critical level of deep body temperature, above which performance of the rotary pursuit task is degraded, is 37.6-37.9 degrees C, and this can be related to affective thermal sensation.