Effects of Heat Stress and Dehydration on Cognitive Function in Elite Female Field Hockey Players

Overview

Journal BMC Sports Sci Med Rehabil

Publisher Biomed Central

Specialty Orthopedics

Date 2018 Jun 28

PMID 29946473

Citations 11

Authors

Hannah MacLeod

Simon Cooper

Stephan Bandelow

Rachel Malcolm

Caroline Sunderland

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: It has previously been suggested that heat exposure and hypohydration have negative effects on cognitive performance, which may impact upon sporting performance. The aim of the present study was to examine the independent effects of heat stress and hypohydration on cognitive performance in elite female field hockey players.

Methods: Eight unacclimatised elite field hockey players (age: 22 ± 3 y; height: 1.68 ± 0.05 m; body mass: 63.1 ± 6.0 kg) completed a cognitive test battery before and after 50 min of field hockey specific exercise on a treadmill in four experimental trials; two in hot conditions (33.3 ± 0.1 °C), and two in moderate (16.0 ± 3.0 °C), both with and without ad libitum water intake.

Results: On the visual search test, participants were faster overall in the heat (1941 vs. 2104 ms, = 0.001). Response times were quicker in the heat on the Sternberg paradigm (463 vs. 473 ms, = 0.024) and accuracy was improved (by 1.9%, = 0.004). There was no effect of hydration status on any of the markers of cognitive function.

Conclusions: Overall, the findings suggest that in elite field hockey players exposure to heat enhances response times and/or accuracy on a battery of cognitive function tests. However, hypohydration does not appear to affect cognitive performance in elite field hockey players.

Citing Articles

The effect of a combined cooling intervention on cognitive function in the heat during an intermittent running protocol.

Cowe S, Cooper S, Malcolm R, Hall L, Donkin D, Sunderland C Eur J Sport Sci. 2024; 24(9):1287-1301.

PMID: 39117584 PMC: 11369344. DOI: 10.1002/ejsc.12178.

The effectiveness of heat preparation and alleviation strategies for cognitive performance: A systematic review.

Donnan K, Williams E, Bargh M Temperature (Austin). 2023; 10(4):404-433.

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Higher operating theatre temperature during burn surgery increases physiological heat strain, subjective workload, and fatigue of surgical staff.

Palejwala Z, Wallman K, Maloney S, Landers G, Ecker U, Fear M PLoS One. 2023; 18(6):e0286746.

PMID: 37267345 PMC: 10237492. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0286746.

The effect of exercise-induced fatigue and heat exposure on soccer-specific decision-making during high-intensity intermittent exercise.

Donnan K, Williams E, Stanger N PLoS One. 2022; 17(12):e0279109.

PMID: 36520792 PMC: 9754236. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0279109.

Behaviors of Water Intake, Hydration Status, and Related Hydration Biomarkers among Physically Active Male Young Adults in Beijing, China: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Zhang N, Zhang J, Wang X, Li Y, Yan Y, Ma G Int J Clin Pract. 2022; 2022:9436186.

PMID: 36320894 PMC: 9592216. DOI: 10.1155/2022/9436186.

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