Cooling in Sports

Why is cooling so important in sports?

Temperature management is crucial for athletes of all levels, from everyday participants to world champions. During physical activity, the body generates heat and naturally attempts to cool itself through processes like sweating and increased blood flow to the skin. The hotter the body gets, the more energy it expends on cooling down, which reduces the energy available for power output and can lead to decreased performance.
    
Without effective cooling measures, there is an increased risk of under-performance and heat-related injuries. With rising global temperatures, it will become increasingly important for both competitive and recreational athletes to manage heat effectively.

How to Beat the Heat

Good hydration and external cooling methods, such as applying ice or water to the body, play a vital role in this process.
 
Pre-cooling before competition and temperature management during and after events can significantly benefit performance and recovery.
 
Additionally, heat-aware training and adaptation strategies are beneficial for long-term athletic development.

 

Cool-Relief

Temperature awareness is growing among athletes, and human physiology shows a direct connection between heat and performance. For both professional and recreational athletes, the perception of heat is also relevant.
 
For recreational sports, excessive heat can detract from the enjoyment of the sport, while for a competitive athlete, discomfort from heat can negatively impact physical performance.

Cooling affects cognitive behaviour during sports and contribute to psychological performance enhancement. Cooling impulses during recreational and competitive sport can be a positive stimulus.

For example, active cooling before a race can improve the well-being of competitors, helping them to feel more comfortable and focused. 

 

Resources

Video: Dr. Andrew Huberman
Supercharge Exercise Performance & Recovery with Cooling

Book: Authors Ph.D. Stephen Cheung, Ph.D. Philip Ainslie
Advanced Environmental Exercise Physiology
Publisher: Human Kinetics (ISBN: 9781492593980)

Study: Temperature – Medical Physiology and Beyond
Heat alleviation strategies for athletic performance: A review and practitioner guidelines
Gibson OR, James CA, Mee JA, Willmott AGB, Turner G, Hayes M, Maxwell NS. Heat alleviation strategies for athletic performance: A review and practitioner guidelines. Temperature (Austin). 2019 Oct 12;7(1):3-36. doi: 10.1080/23328940.2019.1666624. PMID: 32166103; PMCID: PMC7053966.

Study: European Journal of Applied Physiology
Impact of thermal sensation on exercise performance in the heat: a Thermo Tokyo sub-study
Kroesen, Sophie & De Korte, Yannick & Hopman, Maria & Bongers, Coen & Eijsvogels, Thijs. (2022). Impact of thermal sensation on exercise performance in the heat: a Thermo Tokyo sub-study. European Journal of Applied Physiology. 122. 10.1007/s00421-021-04845-8