Transient post-exercise hyper-perspiration of forehead area

Abstract

Information about sweating responses during exercise recovery is insufficient and mostly controversial. In the present study, particular attention is given to sweating behavior at forehead area immediately after exercise. Simultaneous changes of some underlying factors are also addressed. Eight healthy young males (27.4 +/- 0.8 years old) volunteered for the study. They performed a constant work rate exercise (60 rpm at 50% of individual work load for VO2 peak) for 30 min. Sweating from the forehead area was measured by the weight gain of a covered filter paper disk. Simultaneous variations in tympanic temperature, heart rate and mean arterial pressure were obtained. Plasma concentrations for sodium, vasopressin, adrenalin and noradrenalin were also determined. Sweating rate increased up to the first sample taken immediately after exercise cessation (P < 0.05). All other variables measured increased during exercise and with exception of noradrenalin, which was maintained high. Other variables, on the whole, decreased during recovery period. At exercise, off-transient coincident with overshoot in sweating rate, tympanic temperature, noradrenalin and vasopressin were subject to a non significant elevation. These results suggest that, sweating from forehead area is still subject to increase at exercise off-transient. The effects of relevant factors studied here are contradictory and could not justify the increase seen in sweating at off-transient. More studies are required to elucidate the causative factor(s).