Metabolic Responses of Human Subjects to Severe Acute Thermal Stress

The oxygen consumption, rectal temperature, skin temperature, and pulse rate of human subjects during and after exposure to extremely high environmental temperatures have been recorded. A rise in the metabolic rate during thermal stress was observed, with a subsequent fall after it. No decrease in the metabolic rate below the pre-heating level could be observed during the first hour, 10 hours, and 18 hours after the thermal stress. Positive correlations between the metabolic rate and the rectal temperature, skin temperature, and pulse rate were observed.