Palm cooling temperatures on thermal, physiological, perceptual, and ergogenic indices from rowing workouts in a thermoneutral environment

ABSTRACT

Gel pack temperatures were compared for responses to thermal, physiological, perceptual, and ergogenic indices from healthy women (n = 12) and men (n = 8). They did three rowing workouts to identify an ideal temperature. In a randomised sequence, and as subjects wore gloves equipped with mesh pouches during workouts, gel packs at one of the three average temperatures (10.6, 12.6, or 14.9°C) were inserted into the pouches. Data were collected before, during and after multi-stage workouts. Thermal, physiological, and perceptual data were each compared with three-factor (condition, gender, time) mixed effect model ANCOVAs, with repeated measures for condition and time, and gender as a between subjects’ factor. Distance rowed was assessed with two-factor (condition, gender) mixed effect model ANCOVAs, with repeated measures for condition, and gender as a between subjects’ factor. Within-subject contrasts was the post-hoc, and α = 0.05 denoted significance. Despite small differences for distance rowed, many dependent variables had significant inter-condition effects, whereby 10.6°C gel packs had the best thermal and physiological responses. The 10.6°C temperature 1): likely removed the most body heat, perhaps through cold-induced vasodilation and, 2): may be optimal, as it evoked the best thermal and physiological responses.

KEYWORDS:

• Conduction
• cold-induced vasodilation
• anastomoses

Disclosure statement

The authors have no competing interests to report.

Abbreviations

AUDT: auditory canal temperature; ES: effect sizes; [BLa⁻]: blood lactate concentration; HR: heart rate; CIVD: cold-induced vasodilation; LHT: left hand temperature; DBP: diastolic blood pressure; RPE: rate of perceived exertion; SBP: systolic blood pressure

Additional information

Funding

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