Mass-To-Surface Area Ratio in Military Personnel

Mass to surface area ratio (M/SA) was calculated from the body weight and skin surface area of 1513 male and female U.S. Army personnel. It has been suggested that M/SA plays a role in thermoregulation, particularly in hot humid environments, since both body weight and surface area affect the rate o...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: DeLuca, J P, Armstrong, L E, Christensen, E L, Hubbard, R W, Vogel, J A
Format: Report
Language:English
Subjects:
ACCURACY
ADDITION
ADIPOSE TISSUE
ANTHROPOMETRY
ARMY PERSONNEL
AS879
BLACKS(RACIAL GROUP)
BODY WEIGHT
COMPUTATIONS
ETHNIC GROUPS
FEMALES
HEAT
HEAT LOSS
HEAT TOLERANCE
HEIGHT
HIGH HUMIDITY
HOT REGIONS
INDEXES
MASS TO SURFACE AREA RATIOS
PE62787A
RATIOS
REDUCTION
SKIN(ANATOMY)
SPECIFIC HEAT
STORAGE
Stress Physiology
SURFACES
WU129
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Summary:Mass to surface area ratio (M/SA) was calculated from the body weight and skin surface area of 1513 male and female U.S. Army personnel. It has been suggested that M/SA plays a role in thermoregulation, particularly in hot humid environments, since both body weight and surface area affect the rate of body heat storage. The purpose of this investigation was to provide a data base to be used when interpreting M/SA data in the future. The effects of gender, ethnic group, and age on the distribution of M/SA were examined, in addition to the relationship between M/SA and other physical characteristics. This report also describes the physical characteristics of individuals at the extremes of the M/ SA distribution, who may have reduced heat dissipation capacity under certain conditions of heat and humidity. Important findings may be summarized as follows: (1) M/SA increased significantly in both males and females after age 24, and after age 29 in males (p.025). Therefore, M/SA should be compared with data in the appropriate age group. The increase in M/SA with age may be explained by an increase in percent body fat (%BF). %BF increased significantly in both males and females after age 24 (p.025). (2) M/SA was statistically similar between ethnic groups in both males and females. However, black males had a lower %BF and a larger fat-free mass than males in other ethnic groups (p.001). (3) For the first time, four equations are presented which allow an accurate calculation of M/SA (r2=.99) using only height and weight. The results of this investigation will be useful in analyzing data in future studies designed to determine if M/SA is in fact an index of heat tolerance.