Human Physiological Responses and Thermoregulation Modeling in Cold Environments: A Comprehensive Review

Ao Cong

doi:10.54097/bhy56b59

Authors

Ao Cong

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.54097/bhy56b59

Keywords:

Cold Environment, Physiological Response, Thermoregulation, Thermal Comfort, Cold Exposure

Abstract

Cold environments, ranging from moderate cold to extremely cold conditions, pose significant impacts on human physiological health, thermal comfort, and cognitive-motor performance. With the increasing attention to human adaptation and safety in cold regions, workplaces, and extreme environments, research on human physiological responses and thermoregulation modeling in cold conditions has become a key focus. This paper conducts a comprehensive review of existing literature on this topic, starting with an analysis of human overall and local physiological responses under cold exposure, including changes in core and skin temperatures, blood circulation, and metabolic regulation. It then summarizes the development of thermoregulation models for cold environments, covering multi-segmented bioheat models, survival time prediction models, and machine learning-based predictive models. The paper further discusses the influences of key factors on human responses, including cold exposure intensity, duration, repetition, as well as individual differences such as sex, age and activity status. Additionally, it explores practical applications including thermal comfort improvement, cold injury prevention, and heating demand optimization. Finally, the current research gaps and future directions are identified, emphasizing the need for more accurate models considering complex environmental interactions and individual characteristics, as well as in-depth studies on long-term cold adaptation mechanisms. This review aims to provide a systematic understanding of human-environment interactions in cold conditions and support the development of targeted protective strategies and engineering solutions.

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