Is endurance performance of handgrip exercise influenced by the two different clothing ensembles?

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of wearing two different clothing ensembles on endurance performance of handgrip exercise in eight female subjects in the climatic chamber (25 +/- 1 degrees C, 50 +/- 10% RH). The experimental clothing ensembles were HALF and LONG. The clothing ensemble HALF consisted of half-sleeved shirts, knee-length trousers and sandals; LONG of long-sleeved shirts, long-trousers, socks and walking shoes. The subjects carried out the preliminary exercise for 1 hr as scheduled which was composed of slow running on the horizontal treadmill for 25 min, rest for 10 min and running again for 25 min the same as the first running. After the preliminary exercise, the subject exercised with a hand ergometer lifting a weight of 15% of maximal voluntary contraction at the rate of 35 contractions per min until volitional exhaustion. Rectal temperature, skin temperatures, heart rate, body weight loss, clothing microclimate, number of contractions were measured during the experiment and compared between two clothing ensembles. An important result was that the endurance performance of handgrip exercise was significantly greater in HALF than in LONG, for which the lower maintenance of core temperature and mean skin temperature in HALF during the 1 hr preliminary exercise might be responsible. Our present and former results indicate a significant participation of clothing for the endurance performance of handgrip exercise.