Analyzing thermoregulation processes in early school-age girls and boys through thermography

The research assessed thermoregulation processes in early school-age children. Thermal maps of the subjects' bodies were compared before and after general physical exercise and after post-exercise restitution to establish differences between the sexes. The research involved 40 students aged 7, including 20 boys. The subjects participated in interval training which maintained the pulse at 60-80% HRmax. Measurements of body surface temperatures were taken in 12 fields with ThermoVision FLIR SYSTEM T335 camera before exercise, immediately after exercise and after 15 min of restitution. Statistical analysis was based on the Shapiro-Wilk test to verify the normality of variables, multivariate analysis of variance, Student's t test for independent samples and Duncan's post hoc test. The level of statistical significance was established at p < 0.05. Analysis of the results showed a difference in the distribution of surface body temperatures in boys and girls depending on the studied area. The highest values were recorded in the trunk area, and the lowest in the lower-limb area. Statistical analysis demonstrated that in both groups there was a statistically significant decrease in post-exercise temperatures. The results revealed greater efficiency of thermoregulation processes during restitution in girls, because the values obtained in all measurement fields in Test 3 were higher than the pre-exercise values. In Tests 2 and 3, differences between the sexes were reported mainly in the upper-limb area.