Practical Neck Cooling and Time-trial Running Performance in a Hot Environment

Overview

Journal Eur J Appl Physiol

Specialty Physiology

Date 2010 Aug 10

PMID 20694731

Citations 29

Authors

Christopher James Tyler

Perry Wild

Caroline Sunderland

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The aim of this two-part experiment was to investigate the effect of cooling the neck on time-trial performance in hot conditions (~30°C; 50% RH). In Study A, nine participants completed a 75-min submaximal (~60% V(O₂(max)) pre-load phase followed by a 15-min self-paced time-trial (TT) on three occasions: one with a cooling collar (CC(90)), one without a collar (NC(90)) and one with the collar uncooled (C(90)). In Study B, eight participants completed a 15-min TT twice: once with (CC(15)) and once without (NC(15)) a cooling collar. Time-trial performance was significantly improved in Study A in CC(90) (3,030 ± 485 m) compared to C(90) (2,741 ± 537 m; P = 0.008) and NC(90) (2,884 ± 571 m; P = 0.041). Fifteen-minute TT performance was unaffected by the collar in Study B (CC(15) = 3,239 ± 267 m; NC(15) = 3,180 ± 271 m; P = 0.351). The collar had no effect on rectal temperature, heart rate or RPE. There was no effect of cooling the neck on S100β, cortisol, prolactin, adrenaline, noradrenaline or dopamine concentrations in Study A. Cooling the neck via a cooling collar can improve exercise performance in a hot environment but it appears that there may be a thermal strain threshold which must be breached to gain a performance benefit from the collar.

Citing Articles

Effects of Precooling on Endurance Exercise Performance in the Heat: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.

Yu L, Chen Z, Wu W, Xu X, Lv Y, Li C Nutrients. 2024; 16(23).

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The Impact of Neck Cooling on Serum Oxidant/Antioxidant Status and HSP70 Levels during High-Intensity Cycling.

Choi K, Roh H, Cho S Life (Basel). 2023; 13(11).

PMID: 38004318 PMC: 10672271. DOI: 10.3390/life13112178.

Performance Benefits of Pre- and Per-cooling on Self-paced Versus Constant Workload Exercise: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

van de Kerkhof T, Bongers C, Periard J, Eijsvogels T Sports Med. 2023; 54(2):447-471.

PMID: 37803106 PMC: 10933154. DOI: 10.1007/s40279-023-01940-y.

Effects of a Head-Cooling Cap on 5-Km Running Performance in the Heat.

Spannagl B, Willems M, West A Int J Exerc Sci. 2023; 16(6):193-204.

PMID: 37114115 PMC: 10124732. DOI: 10.70252/TKAR7672.

Voluntary torque production is unaffected by changes in local thermal sensation during normothermia and hyperthermia.

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