External auditory canal temperature as an estimate of core temperature.

Measurement of rectal (T sub re), auditory canal (T sub ac), positioned 8 to 10 mm from the tympanic membrane, and mean skin temperature (mean T sub sk) in five men during various exercise regimens at an ambient temperature (T sub a) of 25 C (phase one) and in two men during rest and exercise at 5, 15, 25, and 35 C T sub a (phase two). The purpose was to determine if T sub ac can be used as an accurate estimate of core temperature. Previous observations that T sub ac was highly correlated with T sub re but T sub ac was consistently lower than T sub re are confirmed; the mean difference varied from 0.4 C at rest to 1.1 C at the end of exercise. It is concluded that auditory canal temperature cannot be utilized as an estimate of core temperature, but T sub ac may be used to estimate mean body temperature where very accurate measurements are not required.