Heat, Exercise and Thermoregulation Lab

Also known as the H.E.A.T. Lab, it is complete with a Cantrol Environmental Chamber, electronically-braked cycle ergometer and multiple methods to measure hydration.

Services provided include: 

Heat Tolerance Test

The goal of the test is to determine your body's current ability to tolerate exercise in a hot environment. During these tests, you will walk on a treadmill at 3.1 mph at a 2% grade for 120 minutes in a 104 degree F and 40% relative humidity environment. During this test, we will continuously measure your rectal temperature, heart rate, and perceived exertion and thermal sensation for safety. Before the test, we will assess your hydration via a urine sample. To determine your sweat rate, we will measure your pre- and post-exercise body mass.

We will end the test when one of the following occurs: 1) 120 minutes of exercise, 2) unsteady gait, 3) signs or symptoms of exertional heat illness, 4) you decide to stop the test, 5) heart rate greater than 180 bpm, or 6) rectal temperature equal to or greater than 39.0 degrees C.

Heat Acclimation Training

This procedure requires several successive days of training. The goal of these days is to slowly adapt your body to the heat. You will walk on a treadmill for up to 90 minutes in a 104 degree F and 40% relative humidity environment. We will continuously measure your rectal temperature and heart rate for safety. Before the test, we will assess your hydration via a urine sample.

We will end the sessions when one of the following occurs: 1) 90 minutes of exercise, 2) unsteady gait, 3) signs or symptoms of exertional heat illness, 4) you decide to stop, 5) heart rate greater than 180 bpm, or 6) rectal temperature equal to or greater than 39.5 degrees C. Throughout these days we will gradually progressively increase exercise intensity or duration per day.