What maximum temperature a person can withstand: scientists have made a prediction

Scientists have determined the upper critical body temperature at which a person can function normally. The threshold is on average +40+50 °C

The study was conducted by professor-physiologist Lewis Halsey together with colleagues from the University of Roehampton in London. The Express reported the details.

As the ambient temperature rises, the body begins to expend more and more energy to maintain the optimum.

"We have done work to determine the range of temperatures at which the body functions in terms of minimal metabolic rate and therefore low energy expenditure," said Professor Halsey.

Previous studies have been conducted under natural conditions: for example, people laying bricks in the heat or just relaxing on the beach. Volunteers determined the effect on the body of the ambient temperature at a maximum of +50C. The results of the experiment will be useful in determining working conditions in the medical and sports fields, etc.

"This study provides fundamental knowledge about how we respond to changes in temperature. The lower limit of the so-called thermoneutral zone of the body, in which the body does not need to actively protect its internal temperature, is usually +28°C," said Professor Helsi.

If the value is lower, the body begins to take measures to conserve and produce heat. Shivering, for example, is the main way to warm the body through spontaneous muscle movements.

The upper limit was less clear. In the study, volunteers, including Professor Halsey himself, lay down on a fold-out bed in a special environmental chamber, where the temperature and humidity rose gradually. The scientists then compared each subject's metabolic rate under normal and extreme conditions.

During the test, they checked heart function, perspiration rate, and oxygen consumption. Some people had a 20% increase in metabolic rate. Women's heart rates accelerated faster than men's during the heat.

"We are constantly building a picture of how the body responds to heat stress, how much it can be adapted and what the limits of these adaptations are," said the professor.

Previously OBOZREVATEL told what to do when the heat does not let you sleep.

Subscribe to the channels OBOZREVATEL in Telegram and Viber to keep up with the latest developments.