title: The effects of elapsed time after warm-up on subsequent exercise performance in a cold environment.
abstract: Athletes often compete in cold environments and may face delays because of weather or race logistics between performance of a warm-up and the start of the race. This study sought to determine, (a) whether a delay after warm-up affects subsequent time trial (TT) performance and (b) if exposure to a cold environment has an additive effect. We hypothesized that after a warm-up, 30 minutes of rest in a cold environment would negatively affect subsequent rowing and running performance. In a temperate (temp; 24° C) or cold (cold; 5° C) environment, 5 rowers (33 ± 10 years; 83 ± 12 kg) and 5 runners (23 ± 2 years; 65 ± 8 kg) performed a 15-minute standardized warm-up followed by a 5- or 30-minute rest and then performed a 2-km rowing or 2.4 km running TT. The 5-minute rest following warm-up in the temperate environment (5Temp) served as the control trial to which the other experimental trials (5Cold; 30Temp; and 30Cold) were compared. Heart rate, lactate, and esophageal (Tes) and skin (Tsk) temperatures were measured throughout. Postrest and post-TT, Tes, and Tsk were lowest in the 30Cold trials. The greatest decrement in TT performance vs. 5Temp occurred in 30Cold (-4.0%; difference of 20 seconds). This difference is considered to have practical importance, as it was greater than the reported day-to-day variation for events of this type. We conclude that longer elapsed time following warm-up, combined with cold air exposure, results in potentially important reductions in exercise performance. Athletes should consider the appropriate timing of warm-up. In addition, performance may be preserved by maintaining skin and core temperatures following a warm-up, via clothing or other means.
authors.affiliation: 1Department of Kinesiology, Texas Christian University, Fort Worth, Texas; and 2Thermal and Mountain Medicine Division, United States Army Research Institute of Environmental Medicine, Natick, Massachusetts.
authors.forename: Marissa G
authors.initials: MG
authors.lastname: Spitz
authors.forename: Robert W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Kenefick
authors.forename: Joel B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Mitchell
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D003080:Cold Temperature; D005260:Female; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D019344:Lactic Acid / Q000097:blood; D008297:Male; D010101:Oxygen Consumption; D012420:Running / Q000502:physiology*; D012881:Skin Temperature; D013997:Time Factors; D063996:Warm-Up Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D019344:Lactic Acid