In the fields of health and sports performance, static infrared thermography has established itself as a useful tool for evaluating baseline conditions and detecting lateral thermal asymmetries. However, as researchers point out in the scientific literature, instantaneous static capture can present limitations when facing deep injuries or interference from subcutaneous adipose tissue, which could lead to false negatives.
To further explore a solution to this problem, a recent review paper published by Clara Carrión-González, Carlos Sendra-Pérez, Inmaculada Aparicio-Aparicio, and Jose Ignacio Priego-Quesada (2026) analyzes the role of Dynamic Infrared Thermography (dIRT). This method, based on applying controlled thermal stress (cold or heat), allows for the evaluation of the tissue's regulatory and vascular response over time, offering a much deeper functional perspective of human physiology.
Below, we break down the findings, methodologies, and applications reviewed by the authors in their research.
As Carrión-González and colleagues state, dynamic thermography does not solely measure the static thermal state of the skin ($T_{sk}$), but rather the temporal variation in temperature following a provoked stimulus.
When cold stress is applied (via water immersion, cooling plates, or cryotherapy systems), the sympathetic nervous system induces peripheral vasoconstriction. Upon removing the stimulus, the authors describe how a process of vasodilation and rewarming begins. The speed and pattern of this recovery—which follows a logarithmic curve, being fastest within the first 30 seconds—provide critical information regarding peripheral vascular capacity and heat transfer from deeper tissues.
The authors' scientific review gathers abundant evidence on how dIRT reduces the risk of false negatives in the clinical setting, thanks to its sensitivity in reflecting microcirculation anomalies:
Although Carrión-González et al. point out that evidence for dIRT in sports is still limited compared to the clinical area, they highlight key studies demonstrating its potential to assess fatigue and tissue damage:
The authors cite the study by Priego-Quesada et al. (2020) conducted on marathon runners. After applying a cold-stress test, it was discovered that athletes presented alterations in the logarithmic coefficients of thermal recovery in their legs 24 hours after the race. The relevance of this finding is that these physiological alterations were detected even when static baseline temperature appeared normal, proving that dIRT detects residual hemodynamic anomalies linked to muscle damage that static thermography fails to capture.
Likewise, the chapter includes research on fatiguing strength exercise (Muñoz-Alcamí et al., 2021), concluding that acute exercise modifies the post-stress rewarming rate. This opens the door to using dIRT as an indirect method to assess skin blood flow and the athlete's local stress status.
The authors of the study emphasize the need to continue exploring dIRT under standardized criteria and integrating key biological variables:
Below is the main bibliography analyzed and cited in the research chapter by Carrión-González et al. (2026):
ThermoHuman has had the support of the Funds of the European Union and the Community of Madrid through the Operational Programme on Youth Employment. Likewise, ThermoHuman within the framework of the Export Initiation Program of ICEX NEXT, had the support of ICEX and the co-financing of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Thermohuman has received funding from the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI), in participation with the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), for the R+D activities involved in creating a new tool, based on thermography, for the prediction and prevention of rheumatoid arthritis. See project detail.
