Regional thermal sensitivity to cold at rest and during exercise

Thermal sensitivity has been of scientific interest for almost a century. Despite this, several research questions within this field remain unanswered, particularly regarding the specific distribution of thermal sensitivity to cold across the human body. Additionally, while exercise is known to cause a cold stimulus to be perceived as less unpleasant according to the principle of thermal alliesthesia, less has been reported on the effects of exercise on thermal sensitivity to cold. With applications mainly related to clothing insulation and design in mind, the present research project aimed to investigate thermal sensitivity to cold at whole body segments, as well as within body segments, at rest and during exercise. Additionally, a comparison of thermal sensitivity to cold between genders and between ethnic groups was also performed.