title: Effect of a cooling vest on core temperature in athletes with and without spinal cord injury.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  It is well accepted that persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) have impaired ability to regulate core temperature due to impaired vasomotor and sudomotor activity below their level of injury. Impaired heat dissipation puts SCI athletes at great risk of exercise-induced hyperthermia (EIH) (>37.8°C). There is minimal evidence for efficacy of any specific cooling method in SCI athletes in a thermoneutral sport-specific setting.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the extent of EIH in persons with and without SCI and subsequently examine the effect of a cooling vest to attenuate rise in core body temperature (Tc).
  
  
  METHODS
  SCI (n = 17) and able-bodied (AB; n = 19) athletes participated in a 60-minute intermittent sprinting exercise in a thermoneutral (21.1°C-23.9°C) environment. Participants were separated according to their level of injury: tetraplegia defined as above T1 (TP; n = 6), high paraplegia defined as T5 through T1 (HP; n = 5), low paraplegia defined as T6 and below (LP; n = 6), and AB (n = 19). Tc was recorded at 15-minute intervals using an ingestible thermometer pill. This protocol was completed with a cooling vest (V) and without a cooling vest (NV).
  
  
  RESULTS
  All SCI and most AB athletes experienced EIH. After 60 minutes, Tc of TP athletes was significantly increased compared to HP (P = .03) and AB athletes (P = .007). There was no significant effect of the vest on Tc over time for any group.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  TP athletes have the highest risk of exercise-induced hyperthermia. The cooling vest does not significantly attenuate rise in Tc in SCI or AB athletes.
authors.affiliation: Department of PM&R, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio , Texas ; Spinal Cord Injury Service, Audie L. Murphy Veteran's Administration Hospital , San Antonio, Texas.
authors.forename: Michelle
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Trbovich
authors.affiliation: Department of Physical Therapy, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio , Texas.
authors.forename: Catherine
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Ortega
authors.affiliation: Department of PM&R, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio , Texas.
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Schroeder
authors.affiliation: Department of PM&R, University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio , Texas ; Spinal Cord Injury Service, Audie L. Murphy Veteran's Administration Hospital , San Antonio, Texas.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fredrickson
keywords: body temperature; hyperthermia; spinal cord injury; thermoregulation