Assessing aerobic physical efficiency through temple surface temperature measurements during light, heavy exercise, and recovery

The study was conducted to determine thecorrelation between the selected measures of aerobic physical efficiency and changes in the temple surface temperature in response to light and heavy exercise. 25 physically active men aged 19–25 were recruited for the study. They performed a graded exercise test on a cycle ergometer to measure maximum power (Pmax) and a test verifying the value of maximum oxygen uptake (VO(2)max). Then, two 3-min submaximal efforts with constant-intensity of 2.2 W·kgLBM(−1) and 5 W·kgLBM(−1), respectively were performed. During the constant-intensity efforts, the temperature of the temple surface was measured. Then, the difference between the temperature of the temple measured at the end of the exercise and the temperature measured at the beginning of the exercise was calculated (ΔT1-2.2, ΔT1-5, respectively). It was shown that ΔT1-2.2 correlated statistically significantly with VO(2)max (ml·min(−1)·kg(−1)) (r = 0.49; p = 0.01) and Pmax (W·kg(−1)) (r = 0.41, p = 0.04). Moreover, ΔT1-5 correlated statistically significantly with VO(2)max (l·min(−1)) (r = − 0.41; p = 0.04). Changes in body surface temperature in response to light exercise positively correlate with measurements of aerobic physical efficiency, such as VO(2)max and Pmax. When the exercise intensity is high (5 W·kgLBM(−1)), the correlation between exercise body temperature changes and VO(2)max becomes negative.