Influence of clothing material properties on rectal temperature in different environments

One of the main purposes of clothing is to provide the wearer protection against undesirable environments. The properties of clothing materials have critical influences on the comfort of the wearer. Also, clothing is not just a passive cover for the skin, it interacts with and modifies the heat regulating function of the skin and has effects that are modified by the environment condition. Up to the present, most physiological studies have been on the thermal regulation of the human body without clothing. Although it is a necessary first step, more realistic and valuable information can only be obtained through studies of the interaction between clothing and the physiological aspects of the human wearer. This study reports an investigation into the combined effects of the properties of the clothing material and environment conditions on the rectal temperature of human wearers. The rectal temperature was the highest for the clothing with the lower air permeability and moisture regain during both the cooling and heating periods. In the hot environment after heating, the rectal temperature was the lowest for the clothing with the higher air permeability and moisture regain in environments of both with and without wind.