Effect of warm environment on the skin blood flow response to food intake

Abstract

Background and objective: Warm exposure places high demands on thermoregulation mechanisms, which depend on the effectiveness of the microvascular function. The associations between the microcirculation and metabolism in warm environments have received little attention. The purpose of this study was to explore skin blood flow (SkBF) in response to food intake in a warm environment compared to control. Methods: Thirty-two healthy, acclimated-to-warm-environment and physically active participants were recruited (20 females and 12 males). They participated in two sessions (warm environment: 31 °C and control: 20 °C, presented in randomized order). SkBF was measured before and after standardized food intake through the acquisition of perfusion signals by laser Doppler flowmetry (Periflux System 5000), following a local heating protocol. Results: SkBF was affected by the environmental temperature, showing an increase in the warm environment compared to control (all p