Thermoregulatory responses during prolonged swimming with a Wetsuit at 25 °C

ABSTRACT

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of prolonged steady state swimming with a wetsuit, on thermoregulatory and behavioural responses, in water of 25°C. Ten male swimmers participated in two 75-min  swim trials, in one wearing a neoprene wetsuit (WS), and the other a conventional swimsuit (SS). The swimming intensity was controlled at 70% of swimmers’ critical velocity (CV). Core (Tcore) and skin (Tsk) temperature, heart rate (HR), and behavioural modulators, were measured before, during and after swimming. A 2-way ANOVA for repeated measures with aFisher’s 2SD test was used for multiple comparisons and a paired t-test with a Tukey post hoc analysis for pre and post measurements at p< 0.05. The results demonstrated an interaction of Tcore (p = 0.039), between time in the water and type of garment worn. Tcore with the WS initially increased until the 45^th min and plateaued, while with the SS was continuously decreasing. HR was lower during swimming with the WS and higher with the SS. Thermal sensation and thermal comfort, were more favourable with the WS (p < 0.05). Thus, WS use during prolonged swimming, helped maintain Tcore levels, and improved thermal perceptions, at 25 °C.

KEYWORDS:

• Heart rate
• core temperature
• thermal comfort
• thermal sensation

Highlights

• Tcore with a WS after an initial increase is maintained at a steady state throughout 75 min of swimming at a constant velocity, at ~25 °C.

• Tcore remains within safe ranges in both WS and SS during prolonged swimming in water temperature of ~25 °C.

• HR with a WS is kept lower than with a SS during prolonged swimming, at 25 °C.

• The use of a WS improves the thermal comfort and thermal sensation of swimmers during prolonged steady state swimming at 25 °C.

Acknowledgments

The authors thank the amateur open water swimmers and triathletes that participated this study.

Disclosure statement

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

Author contributions

SR and HS conceived the ideas; SR, HS and MZ designed the experiment; SR and MZ performed the experiment and collected the data; HS, MZ, SK analyzed and interpreted the data, HS and SK drafted the figures; HS drafted the manuscript.

Additional information

Funding

This study was supported by the 70/4/7869 Special Account for research Funds of the National and Kapodistrian University of Αthens, Greece.