Development of new preventive methods for hyperthermia and evaluation of Co-benefit of its autonomous adaptation

2018 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 15H03069
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (B)
• Allocation Type: Single-year Grants
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Sports science
• Research Institution: University of Tsukuba
• Principal Investigator: Honda Yasushi 筑波大学, 体育系, 教授 (20165616)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 西保 岳 筑波大学, 体育系, 教授 (90237751)
• Project Period (FY): 2015-04-01 – 2019-03-31
• Keywords: 地球温暖化 / 暑熱 / 換気量

Outline of Final Research Achievements

As new developed methods for preventing hyperthermia during exercise, 1) inhaling cold air, which could lead to suppression of increasing brain temperature, 2) cooling lower leg, which could lead to improvement in thermal sensation and suppression of increase in ventilation, 3) lower leg compression garment, which could lead to suppression of increase in ventilation, would be effective.
Using the new simulation method, we estimated that the heat-related excess mortality in case of 4.0 C increase at the end of the century was twice as much compared with 1.5 C increase. The mortality was, however, about 20% lower when we assumed 50% autonomous adaptation. Based on Asia, Europe and US analyses, we found that estimation of autonomous adaptation was not straightforward.

Free Research Field

環境保健学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

地球温暖化対策は地球環境問題の中でも最重要の課題と考えられている。対策として、個人で行なう方法と行政が行なう方法を平行して開発する必要がある。個人としてできる方法として、新たな３つの方法の生理学的根拠を提示できたことには意義があると考えられる。また、行政的な対策は、evidence based policy makingの考え方に則って行われなくてはならず、そのためには、科学的な裏付けのある方法で気候変動の影響評価・将来予測を行う必要がある。本研究は、世界で初めての熱関連超過死亡全球将来予測法を発展させたもので、今後の政策の基礎として用いられるものと考えられる。