Thermal resting pattern and acute skin temperature response to exercise in older adults: Role of cardiorespiratory fitness Corral Pérez, Juan Martínez Téllez, Borja Manuel Thermal imaging Infrared thermography Thermoregulation Aging Background Infrared thermography is a growing area of interest in sports science due to the potential of skin temperature (Tsk) measurements to provide valuable information from rest to exercise. However, limited research exists on Tsk in older adults and the impact of factors such as sex and cardiorespiratory fitness (CRF) on Tsk. This study aims to investigate Tsk at rest and after acute exercise in older adults and assess whether sex or CRF influences Tsk. Methods Ninety-two participants (41 women, 68.48 ± 3.01 years) were examined with a thermographic camera in a conditioned room (23.02 ± 3.01 °C) at rest and after a graded protocol. The Tsk of 25 regions of interest (ROIs) were extracted and analysed. Results Men had higher overall Tsk at rest in 76% of ROIs, showing significant differences (p < 0.010) in six specific ROIs, independent of CRF. Both sexes had similar Tsk responses after graded exercise, with increases in distal parts (1.06 ± 0.50 °C), decreases in proximal parts (−0.62 ± 0.42 °C), and stable central Tsk (0.23 ± 0.59 °C). Increases in lower limb Tsk were significantly associated with CRF in men and women (β = 0.438, p = 0.001, and β = 0.535, p < 0.001, respectively), explaining 17% and 27% of the variance, respectively. Conclusions This study demonstrates a sex-specific effect on resting Tsk in older adults, suggesting that sex-specific Tsk patterns should be considered when analysing Tsk in this population. Additionally, the association between increases in lower limb Tsk and CRF suggests that Tsk could be a promising predictor of CRF in older adults. 2023-10-30T10:11:29Z 2023-10-30T10:11:29Z 2023-08-22 journal article J. Corral-P´erez et al. Thermal resting pattern and acute skin temperature response to exercise in older adults: Role of cardiorespiratory fitness. Journal of Thermal Biology 117 (2023) 103678[https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103678] https://hdl.handle.net/10481/85325 10.1016/j.jtherbio.2023.103678 eng http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ open access Atribución 4.0 Internacional Elsevier