Thermoregulation in Young People: Implications for the Physical Education Teachers, Sports Trainers and Activity Organizers

青少年的體溫調節: 對體育敎師、敎練及體育活動組織者的一點提示

Abstract

LANGUAGE NOTE | Document text in English; abstract also in Chinese.

There are physical and physiological differences between how young people cope with exercise in hot and cold environments. Young people are especially disadvantaged when their thermoregulatory capabilities are compared to those of adults. Physically, young people have greater surface-area-to-mass ratio, have lower blood volume per unit of body surface area and smaller sweat glands compared to adults. Physiologically, young people are less energy efficient when it comes to locomotion, they have lower maximal cardiac output and also lower sweat gland sensitivity when compared to adults. These differences mean that young people have to tolerate a greater thermal load when they exercise in the heat or that they lose heat faster when they exercise in a cold environment compared to adults. Physical education teachers, sports trainers and activity organizers must be informed of these facts and take the appropriate actions to ensure that young people are sufficiently shielded from harsh environmental conditions when they are engaged in physical activity.

在熱環境與冷環境下運動，青少年的機體反應有其自身的特點。這是因為青少年的體溫調節功能比成年人弱。之所以較弱，有其形態結構與生理功能兩方面的影響因素。與成年人相比，青少年體表面積與體重比值較大；單位體表面積的血流量較少；運動時青少年產能能力較低；最大心輸出量較少；汗腺較小及汗腺的敏感性較弱等。這些差異致使青少年在熱環境下運動時將承受較強的熱負荷，而在冷環境下運動則散熱較快。因此，體育敎師、敎練和體育活動組織者應重視青少年體溫調節的特點，在這些非常環境下運動時應採取必要的預防保護措施，以確保青少年的健康舆安全。