Thermal sensation and comfort with transient metabolic rates

Abstract

This study investigated the effect on thermal perceptions and preferences of controlled metabolic excursions of various intensities (20%, 40%, 60% relative work load) and durations (3-30 min) imposed on subjects that alternated between sedentary activity and exercise on a treadmill. The thermal environment was held constant at a temperature corresponding to PMV=0 at sedentary activity. Even low activity changes of short duration (1 min at 20% relative work load) affected thermal perceptions. However, after circa 15 min of constant activity, subjective thermal responses approximated the steady-state response, after both upsteps and down-steps of activity.