Practical Torso Cooling During Soccer-Specific Exercise in the Heat.

CLOTHING & dress; TORSO physiology; ATHLETIC ability; BODY temperature; CROSSOVER trials; EXERCISE; EXERCISE physiology; HEART beat; HEAT; RECTUM; RESEARCH funding; RUNNING; SOCCER; STATISTICS; TIME; DATA analysis; COOLDOWN; SKIN temperature; MALE athletes; DATA analysis software; DESCRIPTIVE statistics; EQUIPMENT & supplies

Context: Precooling and midevent cooling of the torso using cooling vests can improve exercise performance in the heat with or without physiological changes; however, the effects of such cooling during intermittent exercise in the heat are unknown. Objective: To investigate the effects of torso cooling during intermittent exercise in the heat (358C, 50% relative humdity) on sprint performance and the physiological and perceptual responses to the exercise. Design: Crossover study. Setting: Walk-in environmental chamber. Patients or Other Participants: Ten non-heat-acclimated, male soccer players (age ¼ 25 6 2 years, height ¼ 1.77 6 0.06 m, mass ¼ 72.9 6 7.6 kg). Intervention(s): Two 90-minute bouts of soccer-specific intermittent running in the heat: 1 trial with a cooling vest worn during the exercise and 1 trial without a cooling vest. Each trial comprised two 45-minute periods separated by approximately 15 minutes of seated rest in cool conditions (approximately 238C, 50% relative humdity). Main Outcome Measure(s): Peak sprint speed, rectal temperature (Tr), mean-weighted skin temperature (Tsk), heart rate (HR), rating of perceived exertion (RPE), and thermal sensation (TS) were measured every 5 minutes. Results: Peak sprint performance was largely unaffected by the cooling vest. The Tr, Tsk, HR, RPE, and TS were unaffected in the cooling-vest trial during the first 45 minutes, but Tr rose at a slower rate in the cooling-vest trial (0.0268C.min-1 6 0.0088C.min-1) than in the no-vest trial (0.0328C.min-1 6 0.0098C.min-1). During the second 45-minute period, Tr, Tr rate of rise, Tsk, RPE, and TS were lower in the cooling-vest trial (Hedges g range, 0.55-0.84), but mean HR was unaffected. Conclusions: Wearing a cooling vest during soccer-specific intermittent running in the heat reduced physiological and perceptual strain but did not increase peak sprint speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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