| Title | Cooling strategies improve intermittent sprint performance in the heat of athletes with tetraplegia. | | Author(s) | Webborn N, Price MJ, Castle P, Goosey-Tolfrey V | | Institution | Chelsea School Research Centre, United Kingdom. | | Source | Br J Sports Med 2008 Jun 14. | | Abstract | BACKGROUND: Pre-cooling has been shown to enhance performance in repeated sprint exercise in able-bodied subjects in a hot environment. Spinal cord injury causes thermoregulatory impairment with a detrimental effect on performance. This study assessed whether cooling strategies prior to and during exercise in the heat enhances sprint performance in tetraplegic athletes.
METHODS: Eight male tetraplegic athletes performed arm crank intermittent exercise in the heat (32.0 +/- 0.1 degrees C, humidity 50 +/- 0.1%) for a maximum of 60 min or until exhaustion. Trials involved a no cooling control (CON), pre-cooling (PRE) or cooling during exercise (DUR). Each intermittent sprint protocol consisted of varied periods of passive rest, maximal sprinting and active recovery.
RESULTS: Both PRE and DUR cooling strategies improved the ability of the athletes to repeatedly perform high intensity sprints, with times to exhaustion (TTE) of 47.2 +/-10.8 and 52.8 +/-5.8 min respectively (P < 0.05). During the CON trial athletes demonstrated a reduction in the total number of sprints they were able to perform (18.13 +/- 4.8 sprints; 36.2 +/-9.6 min). Core temperature was significantly higher for CON (37.3 +/- 0.3 degrees C) when compared to both PRE and DUR (36.5 +/- 0.6 degrees C and 37.0 +/- 0.5 degrees C respectively; P < 0.01). Ratings of perceived exertion and thermal sensation upon exhaustion or completion were not different.
CONCLUSIONS: Tetraplegic athletes should use a pre-cooling or during exercise cooling strategy when performing intermittent sprint exercise in hot conditions to improve performance. | | Language | ENG | | Pub Type(s) | JOURNAL ARTICLE
| | PubMed ID | 18552372 |
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