Physical Work and Cognitive Function During Acute Heat Exposure Before and After Heat

Eight physically active males, without a history of heat acclimation were studied during heat exposure for 22 consecutive days. Physiological adaptation and cognitive function were evaluated during heat stress tests. Four cognitive function tests were administered at intervals during the study. These tests involved assessment of perceptual function, spatial orientation, temporal orienation and vigilance. The observations show that heat acclimation improves the capacity to perform physical work in the heat. However, neither unfamiliar nor habitual heat strain appear to induce attentional disturbances, temporal or spatial disorientation, or altered visual perception, as quantified within this experimental design. While these data indicate that cognitive function is not affected by heat, it is possible that the cognitive function tests used were not sufficiently sensitive to quantify heat-induced impairment. It is also possible that changes may only appear in more complex cognitive tasks