Investigation of factors affecting the rate of changes in endurance exercise performance by pre-cooling with ice slurry

Abstract

To investigate the factors affecting the rate of improvement in endurance exercise performance following pre-cooling with ice slurry, we focused on individual physical characteristics and thermoregulatory capacity. Twenty-four healthy adults (12 males and 12 females) ingested 7.5g kg^-1 of either ice slurry at -1°C (ICE) or control water at 20°C (CON) before cycling at 55% VO₂max and continued cycling until the rectal temperature reached 38.5°C or untill exhaustion in a hot environment (controlled at 38°C, 40% relative humidity). The relationship between the rate of improvement in exercise performance and physical characteristics and thermoregulatory factors (changes in rectal temperature, the rate of rectal temperature increase, whole body sweat loss, mean metabolic heat production, and heat storage) was investigated. No correlation was noted between the rate of improvement in exercise performance and physical characteristics and heat storage. On the other hand, the rate of improvement in exercise performance showed significant correlations with changes in rectal temperature (r = -0.497), the rate of rectal temperature increases during exercise (r = -0.784), whole body sweat loss (r = 0.407), and mean metabolic heat production (r = -0.436). The rate of inhibition of sweating and the rate of increase in metabolic heat production by ice slurry ingestion during exercise have been suggested to be related to the rate of improvement in exercise performance. On the other hand, there was no relationship between body composition or VO₂max and the rate of improvement in exercise performance.