Central Motor Command Affects the Sweating Activity during Exercise

Contribution of the centrally-generated voluntary motor command signal to the sweating mechanisms during exercise was examined by 2 series of experiments. In Series 1, the increase in sweating rate of the thigh in response to hand-grip was augmented by the curarization and returned gradually along with the recovery process. In Series 2, forearm sweat rate increased in response to exercise and the increase reduced by the intervention of TVR in case of knee extension and was augmented with TVR in case of knee flexion. These observations suggest that the central motor command irradiates to the central sudomotor mechanisms and facilitates thermal sweating during voluntary muscular contraction.