The Impacts of Sun Exposure on Worker Physiology and Cognition: Multi-Country Evidence and Interventions

Leonidas G. Ioannou, Lydia Tsoutsoubi, Konstantinos Mantzios, Giorgos Gkikas, Jacob F. Piil, Petros C. Dinas, Sean R. Notley, Glen P. Kenny, Lars Nybo and Andreas D. Flouris
Additional contact information
Leonidas G. Ioannou: FAME Laboratory, Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Thessaly, 42100 Trikala, Greece
Lydia Tsoutsoubi: FAME Laboratory, Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Thessaly, 42100 Trikala, Greece
Konstantinos Mantzios: FAME Laboratory, Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Thessaly, 42100 Trikala, Greece
Giorgos Gkikas: FAME Laboratory, Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Thessaly, 42100 Trikala, Greece
Jacob F. Piil: Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, August Krogh Building, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
Petros C. Dinas: FAME Laboratory, Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Thessaly, 42100 Trikala, Greece
Sean R. Notley: Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
Glen P. Kenny: Human and Environmental Physiology Research Unit, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, ON K1N 6N5, Canada
Lars Nybo: Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sports, August Krogh Building, University of Copenhagen, 2100 Copenhagen, Denmark
Andreas D. Flouris: FAME Laboratory, Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Thessaly, 42100 Trikala, Greece

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 14, 1-26

Abstract: Background: A set of four case-control ( n = 109), randomized-controlled ( n = 7), cross-sectional ( n = 78), and intervention ( n = 47) studies was conducted across three countries to investigate the effects of sun exposure on worker physiology and cognition. Methods: Physiological, subjective, and cognitive performance data were collected from people working in ambient conditions characterized by the same thermal stress but different solar radiation levels. Results: People working under the sun were more likely to experience dizziness, weakness, and other symptoms of heat strain. These clinical impacts of sun exposure were not accompanied by changes in core body temperature but, instead, were linked with changes in skin temperature. Other physiological responses (heart rate, skin blood flow, and sweat rate) were also increased during sun exposure, while attention and vigilance were reduced by 45% and 67%, respectively, compared to exposure to a similar thermal stress without sunlight. Light-colored clothes reduced workers’ skin temperature by 12–13% compared to darker-colored clothes. Conclusions: Working under the sun worsens the physiological heat strain experienced and compromises cognitive function, even when the level of heat stress is thought to be the same as being in the shade. Wearing light-colored clothes can limit the physiological heat strain experienced by the body.

Keywords: solar radiation; heat; occupational; labor; performance; core temperature; skin temperature; heart rate; skin blood flow; sweat rate (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (4)

Downloads: (external link)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/14/7698/pdf (application/pdf)
https://www.mdpi.com/1660-4601/18/14/7698/ (text/html)

Related works:
This item may be available elsewhere in EconPapers: Search for items with the same title.

Export reference: BibTeX RIS (EndNote, ProCite, RefMan) HTML/Text

Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:gam:jijerp:v:18:y:2021:i:14:p:7698-:d:597714

Access Statistics for this article

IJERPH is currently edited by Ms. Jenna Liu

More articles in IJERPH from MDPI
Bibliographic data for series maintained by MDPI Indexing Manager ().