A case report on the physiological responses to extreme heat during Sicily's July 2023 heatwave

Journal article


Filingeri, D., Valenza, A., Ficarra, S., Filingeri, V., Worsley, P. R. and Bianco, A. 2024. A case report on the physiological responses to extreme heat during Sicily's July 2023 heatwave. Physiological Reports. pp. 1-6. https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.16107
AuthorsFilingeri, D., Valenza, A., Ficarra, S., Filingeri, V., Worsley, P. R. and Bianco, A.
Abstract

July 2023 has been confirmed as Earth's hottest month on record, and it was characterized by extraordinary heatwaves across southern Europe. Field data collected under real heatwave periods could add important evidence to understand human adaptability to extreme heat. However, field studies on human physiological responses to heatwave periods remain limited. We performed field thermo-physiological measurements in a healthy 37-years male undergoing resting and physical activity in an outdoor environment in the capital of Sicily, Palermo, during (July 21; highest level of local heat-health alert) and following (August 10; lowest level of local heat-health alert) the peak of Sicily's July 2023 heatwave. Results indicated that ~40 min of outdoor walking and light running in 33.8°C Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) conditions (July 21) resulted in significant physiological stress (i.e., peak heart rate: 209 bpm; core temperature: 39.13°C; mean skin temperature: 37.2°C; whole-body sweat losses: 1.7 kg). Importantly, significant physiological stress was also observed during less severe heat conditions (August 10; WBGT: 29.1°C; peak heart rate: 190 bpm; core temperature: 38.48°C; whole-body sweat losses: 2 kg). These observations highlight the physiological strain that current heatwave conditions pose on healthy young individuals. This ecologically-valid empirical evidence could inform more accurate heat-health planning.

Keywordsphysiological responses ; extreme heat; Sicily
Year2024
JournalPhysiological Reports
Journal citationpp. 1-6
PublisherWiley
ISSN: 2051-817X
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)https://doi.org/10.14814/phy2.16107
Web address (URL)https://physoc.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.14814/phy2.16107
Publisher's version
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File Access Level
Open
Output statusPublished
Publication dates
Online07 Jun 2024
Publication process dates
Deposited18 Jul 2024
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