Thermal Stress is the physiological disturbance imposed on the body when its core temperature deviates significantly from the narrow range required for optimal metabolic function, due to either excessive heat or cold exposure. The body must expend significant energy to activate complex thermoregulatory mechanisms to maintain homeostasis. This stressor is clinically relevant because it transiently modulates key hormonal axes, particularly the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, and influences cellular resilience through the induction of specific heat or cold shock proteins.
Origin
The term combines “Thermal,” relating to heat, from the Greek therme, and “Stress,” referring to the body’s non-specific response to any demand for change. The concept originates from environmental physiology, which studies the body’s profound adaptive capacity to various external temperature extremes.
Mechanism
The body responds to thermal stress by activating the hypothalamic thermoregulatory center, which triggers efferent responses to restore core temperature. In heat stress, this involves widespread cutaneous vasodilation and increased sweating, while cold stress induces peripheral vasoconstriction and shivering thermogenesis. Simultaneously, the systemic stress response involves the transient release of catecholamines and cortisol, preparing the body for a fight-or-flight response and mobilizing energy substrates to cope with the increased metabolic demand.
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