The human body regulates it body temperature at approximately 96 degrees Fahrenheit. A thermal stress (hot or cold) is a stress placed on the body’s ability to regulate its temperature. This stress can be caused by the environment the body is working in (i.e. cold or hot conditions) or in the exercitation in combination with hydration. For example, it is entirely possible to get hypothermia in the heat of the summer simply by exerting yourself and then entering an air conditioned room. Understanding and working with the body’s ability to regulate temperature is crucial to ensuring life-threatening and sometimes fatal thermal stress conditions do not occur.
