title: Effects of cooling before and during simulated match play on thermoregulatory responses of athletes with tetraplegia.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Athletes with high level spinal cord injuries (tetraplegia) are under greater thermal strain during exercise than the able-bodied. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effectiveness of pre-cooling using an ice vest and the combination of pre-cooling and cooling during play using water sprays in athletes with tetraplegia.
  
  
  METHODS
  Counter-balanced, cross-over design.
  
  
  METHODS
  Eight wheelchair rugby players with tetraplegia completed a 60min intermittent sprint protocol (ISP) on a wheelchair ergometer in 20.2°C±0.2°C and 33.0%±3.1% relative humidity. The ISP was conducted on three occasions; no cooling (NC), pre-cooling with an ice vest (P) and pre-cooling with an ice vest and water sprays between quarters (PW). Gastrointestinal (Tgi) temperature, mean skin temperature (Tsk) and perceptual responses were measured throughout.
  
  
  RESULTS
  At the end of pre-cooling, the change in Tgiwas not significantly different between conditions (P>0.05) but the change in Tskwas significantly greater in P and PW compared to NC (P<0.001). The change in Tgiover the ISP was significantly lower in PW and P compared to NC (P<0.05), whilst the change in Tskwas lower in PW compared to P and NC (P<0.05). Cooling had no effect on performance or perceptual responses (P>0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Water spraying between quarters combined with pre-cooling using an ice vest lowers thermal strain to a greater degree than pre-cooling only in athletes with tetraplegia, but has no effect on simulated wheelchair rugby performance or perceptual responses.
authors.affiliation: Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport, School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, UK.
authors.forename: Katy E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Griggs
authors.affiliation: Environmental Ergonomics Research Centre, Design School, Loughborough University, UK.
authors.forename: George
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Havenith
authors.affiliation: Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport, School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, UK.
authors.forename: Thomas A W
authors.initials: TAW
authors.lastname: Paulson
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomolecular and Sports Science, Coventry University, UK.
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: J Price
authors.affiliation: Peter Harrison Centre for Disability Sport, School of Sport, Exercise and Health Sciences, Loughborough University, UK. Electronic address: v.l.tolfrey@lboro.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Victoria L
authors.initials: VL
authors.lastname: Goosey-Tolfrey
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D056352:Athletes; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation; D003020:Clothing; D003080:Cold Temperature; D016552:Ergometry; D005260:Female; D005538:Football / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011782:Quadriplegia; D012881:Skin Temperature; D013686:Telemetry; D014910:Wheelchairs; D059015:Wireless Technology
keywords: Body temperature regulation; Exercise physiology; Ice vest; Spinal cord injuries; Sports for persons with disabilities; Water sprays