Taking the plunge: When is best for hot water immersion to complement exercise in heat and hypoxia

ABSTRACT

This investigation assessed the psycho-physiological and performance effects of hot water immersion (HWI) implemented either before or after a repeated-sprint training in hypoxia (RSH) session conducted in the heat. Ten participants completed three RSH trials (3 × 10 × 5-s sprints), conducted at 40°C and simulated altitude of 3000 m. A 30-min monitoring period preceded and followed all exercise sessions. In PRE, the pre-exercise period was HWI, and the post-exercise period was seated rest in temperate conditions. This combination was reversed in POST. In CON, participants were seated in temperate conditions for both periods. Compared to CON, PRE elicited a reduction in power output during each repeated-sprint set (14.8–16.2%, all p < 0.001), and a significantly higher core temperature (Tc) during the pre-exercise period and throughout the exercise session (p < 0.001 and p = 0.025, respectively). In POST, power output and Tc until the end of exercise were similar to CON, with Tc higher at the conclusion of the post-exercise period (p < 0.001). Time across the entire protocol spent ≥38.5°C Tc was significantly longer in PRE (48.1 ± 22.5 min) than POST (31.0 ± 11.3 min, p = 0.05) and CON (15.8 ± 16.3 min, p < 0.001). Employing HWI following RSH conducted in the heat provides effective outcomes regarding physiological strain and cycling performance when compared to pre-exercise or no HWI.

KEYWORDS:

• Altitude
• heat stress
• core temperature
• heat acclimation
• passive heating

Acknowledgments

M.D. was supported by the Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship and the Western Australian Institute of Sport, High Performance Research Centre Scholarship at the University of Western Australia. The authors did not receive external funding for this study.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported that there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.