Research Can Help Better Manage Body Temperature Regulation and Hydration in Older Adults

A study published in the Journal of Physiology focuses on the deterioration of the body's ability to regulate its temperature with age, which could offer insights to help older adults better regulate body temperature and hydration, reports News-Medical . For instance, because of reductions in thirst and the ability to preserve body fluid, people may require more frequent reminders to drink water during work in the heat or during heatwaves as they get older. Prolonged perspiration also can cause excessive fluid loss. The researchers had young and older men perform exercise in the heat, artificially increasing their blood salt content beforehand with infusions of saline. The regulation of body temperature in the older subjects was not influenced by increases in blood salt content. Given that both the young and older adults were physically active without any overt chronic health conditions, it is difficult to determine whether the results translate to more sedentary individuals or those with common age-related chronic diseases like Type 2 diabetes.