IIST study: microgravity raises core body temperature

• A study by IIST researchers reveals that microgravity consistently increases core body temperature, with fluid shifts playing a crucial role in thermal balance.

• The study, published in Life Sciences in Space Research, reveals that the redistribution of blood from the lower limbs to the upper body significantly impacts the body’s temperature distribution.

• The study found that while the feet and hands become cooler as the body spends more time in microgravity, the head, abdomen, and the core get warmer.

• The model also indicates that astronauts’ body temperature rises faster than it does on the earth when they exercise in space.

• The model was confirmed to predict real outcomes by using it to simulate astronauts’ body temperature onboard the USSR’s and Russia’s erstwhile Mir space station and onboard the International Space Station.

• Thermoregulation models are used in many everyday situations, including in clothing, architecture, and medicine, to predict how a person’s body temperature changes.

• The IIST team calculates the universal thermal climate index, indicating how hot or cold it feels outside by considering factors like wind, humidity, and sunlight.