EFFECTS OF TEMPERATURE AND EXERCISE ON THE PRODUCTION AND COMPOSITION OF SWEAT IN NIGERIANS

Abstract

An investigation into the effects of temperature and exercise on the production and composition of sweat in Nigerians was carried out on healthy male adults. Sweat was induced in a sweat chamber under normal, exercise and raised temperature conditions. The rate of sweat production was measured and sweat samples were analysed for the electrolytes and proteins. The exercise and raised temperature conditions were found to increase the sweat rate significantly over their values under the normal conditions. In addition, these conditions produced significantly higher values of the sweat electrolytes and proteins. However, it was noted that the raised temperature conditions did not significantly increase the values of the sodium from the forehead and the chloride from the forearm. Generally, the effects of exercise conditions on the values of the sweat rate, sweat electrolytes and proteins were significantly higher than those of the raised temperature conditions. The electrolyte ratios, the hydrogen ion concentration and the total cations and anions of the sweat samples varied with the experimental conditions. It was suggested that the requirements of the body for evaporative heat dissipation might account for the significant increase in the sweat rate. The significant increase in the sweat electrolytes and proteins was also linked to the increase of these substances from the body with the increase in sweat rate. It was suggested that the differences in the original distribution of functioning active sweat glands might account for the slight difference in the forehead and forearms sweat values. It is probable that the variation in the values of the sweat rate , sweat electrolytes and sweat proteins with the different experimental conditions were mainly due to the different level at which each experimental condition is able to induce sweating. Since the values of the sweat rate and sweat electrolytes obtained for Nigerians are similar to those of the Caucasians, it was suggested that the sweating characteristics of the two races are qualitatively similar but natural climatic environments under which the two races sweat impose quantitative differences.