Impact of Various 10-min Cooling Breaks on Internal Body Temperature Responses During Subsequent Intermittent Exercise in the Heat: Application to Tennis

Abstract

Purpose

Assess the effectiveness of three cooling strategies during a 10-min break vs. no break or no cooling on internal body temperature responses during an intermittent treadmill exercise simulating the intensity of a tennis match.

Methods

Twelve physically active females (mean ± SD; age, 26 ± 3 years; height, 167.0 ± 4.8 cm; body mass, 58.2 ± 4.2 kg; VO_{2 peak} 46.2 ± 2.5 mL/kg/min) completed five 90-min intermittent exercise trials in the heat (WBGT 30.9 ± 0.2 °C) with a 10-min break in different cooling groups: cold water immersion (CWI), ice towel with dampened towels (Towel), cooling vest (Vest), passive rest (Passive), and no break (None). Rectal temperature (T_rec), skin temperature (T_sk), and heart rate (HR) were monitored throughout the trials.

Results

There was a significant difference in ΔT_rec between None and CWI (P < 0.001, d = 1.71). The effect size for ΔT_rec indicated a moderate impact with a 10-min break using Towel, Vest and Passive, without a significant difference from None (P > 0.05, d = 0.52–0.67). CWI had a significantly greater ΔT_rec during the first 15-min of subsequent exercise period compared to Vest and Passive while there was no significant difference during a 10-min break between the cooling groups. The effects of cooling on T_sk and HR were not maintained at the end of exercise period.

Conclusion

A 10-min break with CWI effectively attenuated the rise in internal body temperature following intermittent treadmill exercise. A 10-min CWI break may be a potential strategy to mitigate the risk of exertional heat illnesses during tennis tournaments in hot conditions, however the impact on physical performance and the logistical challenges associated with implementation remain unexplored.

Keywords

Thermoregulation / Per-cooling / Cold water immersion / Female athlete

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Funding

Korey Stringer Institute