[Relationship between temperatures behavior following short-term exposure of fingers to heat and cold and various anthropometric index values. Contribution on the problem of temperature regulation in man].

On a sample of n=201 male students between 18 and 30 years cold resp. heat tolerance tests were carried out in order to examine, how far correlations to anthropometric traits are present. No correlation between body height and heat resp. cold tolerance were found. Against that body weight, ROHRER-Index, subcutaneous fat tissue, weight/surface-ratio and surface/weight-ratio showed marked correlations with variations in body temperature. Particularly in the cold tolerance test more heavy and fatty individuals were characterist by a greater ability to store body heat as the decrease of temperature in them was obviously lower. The anthropological significance of these observations is discussed.