Effect of Exercise Training on Body Temperature in the Elderly: A Retrospective Cohort Study

Background: This study evaluated the effect of exercise training on body temperature and clarified the relationship between body temperature and body composition in the elderly. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, a total of 91 elderly participants performed aerobic and anaerobic exercise training twice a week for 2 years. Non-contact infrared thermometer and bioelectrical impedance analysis were performed at baseline and at 2 years. Results: Mean age of study participants was 81.0 years. The participants were divided into two groups by baseline body temperature of 36.3 &deg
C
lower body temperature group (n = 67) and normal body temperature group (n = 24). Body temperature rose significantly after exercise training in the lower body temperature group (36.04 &plusmn
0.11 &deg
C to 36.30 &plusmn
0.13 &deg
C, p &lt
0.0001), whereas there was no significant difference in the normal body temperature group (36.35 &plusmn
0.07 &deg
C to 36.36 &plusmn
C, p = 0.39). A positive correlation was observed between the amount of change in body temperature and baseline body temperature (r = &minus
0.68, p &lt
0.0001). Increase in skeletal muscle mass was an independent variable related to the rise in body temperature by the multivariate logistic regression analysis (odds ratio: 4.77, 95% confidence interval: 1.29&ndash
17.70, p = 0.02). Conclusions: Exercise training raised body temperature in the elderly, especially those with lower baseline body temperature.