Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

Prioritize research on human behaviour during extreme heat

Nature Human Behaviour volume 7, pages 473–474 (2023)Cite this article

Subjects

Humans are impressively able to withstand exposure to extreme heat through behavioural and physiological mechanisms, which suppress internal heat generation, limit environmental heat gain and augment heat loss. During heat stress, elevations in body temperature redirect blood to the skin surface and increase sweat loss, reducing blood pressure and plasma volume, which increases cardiovascular demand. Consequently, prolonged heat stress can lead to fatal cardiac events and kidney injury, as well as heat stroke3. However, protective cooling and hydrating behaviours can be very effective at reducing rises in body temperature and cardiovascular demand, while preserving body water4. We argue that behaviour is our most powerful way of mitigating negative health effects of extreme heat, but this can be modulated by access, motivational conflict and interactions between physiology and perception.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Access options

Rent or buy this article

Prices vary by article type

from$1.95

to$39.95

Learn more

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

References

  1. Domeisen, I. V. et al. Nat. Rev. Earth Environ. 4, 36–50 (2022).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  2. Morris, N. B. et al. Lancet Planet. Health 5, e368–e377 (2021).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Ebi, K. L. et al. Lancet 398, 698–708 (2021).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Schlader, Z. J. & Vargas, N. T. Exerc. Sport Sci. Rev. 47, 116–126 (2019).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Longden, T. et al. Nat. Energy 7, 43–54 (2022).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. Cong, S., Nock, D., Qiu, Y. L. & Xing, B. Nat. Commun. 13, 2456 (2022).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. Jay, O. et al. Lancet 398, 709–724 (2021).

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Chapman, C. L. et al. Am. J. Physiol. Regul. Integr. Comp. Physiol. 321, R141–R151 (2021).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  9. Périard, J. D., DeGroot, D. & Jay, O. Exp. Physiol. 107, 1111–1121 (2022).

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  10. Vargas, N. T. et al. J. Physiol. 598, 2775–2790 (2020).

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. School of Medicine and Psychology, Australian National University, Acton, Australian Capital Territory, Australia

    Nicole T. Vargas & Arnagretta Hunter

  2. Heat and Health Research Incubator, University of Sydney, Camperdown, New South Wales, Australia

    Nicole T. Vargas & Ollie Jay

  3. School of Public Health, Indiana University, Bloomington, IN, USA

    Zachary J. Schlader

Authors
  1. Nicole T. Vargas
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Zachary J. Schlader
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Ollie Jay
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Arnagretta Hunter
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Nicole T. Vargas.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The authors declare no competing interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and Permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Vargas, N.T., Schlader, Z.J., Jay, O. et al. Prioritize research on human behaviour during extreme heat. Nat Hum Behav 7, 473–474 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01569-x

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41562-023-01569-x

This article is cited by

Search

Advanced search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing