The average normal body temperature is 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit or 37 degrees Celsius. Factors affecting body temperature include time of day, age and activity level. Normal body temperature also varies according to individual metabolism and internal temperature control, or thermoregulation. It is normal for body temperature to be higher than average during and after exercise because of energy production and substances your body releases into the bloodstream.
Exercise and Temperature Elevation
Greater than 70 percent of the energy produced to power muscles is lost as heat, according to Dr. Gabe Mirkin, who is board-certified in sports medicine. This results in a temperature elevation during and after exercise, especially following a long workout. To keep your body from overheating, the heart pumps rapidly to divert the heat in your blood away from your muscles to the skin. This thermoregulation results in sweating, which then evaporates to cool the body. Your temperature remains elevated after exercise, and you continue to sweat as your body cools.
Physiology Study
In a study published in "The Journal of Applied Physiology," nine healthy men had mild temperature elevations of 0.36 degrees Celsius, or 0.65 degrees Fahrenheit, after extended periods of exercise. This temperature elevation persisted in both cold and warm environmental temperatures. This temperature elevation continued for about 11 hours after the end of exercise. This temperature elevation is most likely related to mild pyrexia that occurs because of substances released into the blood that result from mild tissue damage occurring during exercise.
Heat Illness
Mild temperature elevations are normal during exercise and sweating cools your body. Sometimes, though, when you exercise in heat and high humidity for extended periods of time, you can develop a heat illness. The most serious of these illnesses is heatstroke, which is a life-threatening illness and occurs when your body temperature rises as high as 106 degrees Fahrenheit in minutes, indicates MedlinePlus. Heatstroke also causes dry skin, dizziness and a rapid pulse. Limit your time exercising in the heat and drink plenty of water to help prevent heat-related illnesses. If you have symptoms of heat stroke, seek medical help immediately.
Elderly and Dehydration
According to Len Kravitz, Ph.D. of The University of New Mexico, elderly individuals have a lower percentage of body water, which increases dehydration risk and reduces sweating capabilities during exercise. Water intake is very important before, during and after exercise to prevent dehydration.
References
- DrMirkin.com; Temperature During Exercise; Gabe Mirkin, M.D.; May 2010
- "The Journal of Physiology"; Elevation in Set Point for Body Temperature Regulation After Prolonged Exercise; J.S.J. Haight and W.R. Keatinge; February 1973
- MedlinePlus: Body temperature normals
- MedlinePlus: Heat Illness
- The University of New Mexico; The Age Antidote; Len Kravitz, Ph.D.
