The effect of menstrual cycle phase on foot skin temperature during mild local cooling in young women

Japanese women can experience a sensation of cold feet in daily life. It is possible that this sensation of coldness in feet may be associated with female hormones, but to date the effect of menstrual cycle phase on the skin temperature (Tsk) of the foot during local cooling is unknown. We therefore examined Tsk and partial cutaneous blood flow in the foot during the follicular (F) and luteal (L) phases of the menstrual cycle in women experiencing local cooling. Tsk was measured in the toes and the dorsum of the left foot using infrared thermography, while cutaneous blood flow was evaluated in the big toe of the left foot using laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF), both at 28 °C. Mild local cooling (24.7 °C) was then applied for 30 min to the right foot. During cooling of the right foot, no significant differences in Tsk were observed between the F and L phases in either the toes of the left foot or the dorsum of the left foot of all subjects. However, cutaneous blood flow determined by LDF in the big toe of the left foot was greater in the F phase than in the L phase. These results suggest that the menstrual cycle phase did not affect Tsk in the foot, but it did affect cutaneous blood flow in the big toe during mild local cooling.