Effects of Precooling on 30-km Cycling Performance and Pacing in Hot and Temperate Environments

Abstract

This study examined the effects of precooling on performance and pacing during 30-km cycling exercise in hot and temperate environments. 8 trained male cyclists performed 4 trials involving either cooling (PREC_TEMP and PREC_HOT) or no-cooling interventions (TEMP and HOT) prior to a 30-km self-paced cycling exercise in either a hot (35°C, 68% relative humidity) or temperate environment (24°C, 68% relative humidity). Exercise time was longer in HOT (60.62±3.47 min) than in TEMP (58.28±3.30 min; <i>P</i><0.001), and precooling attenuated this thermal strain performance impairment (PREC_HOT 58.28±3.30 min; <i>P</i>=0.048), but it was still impaired compared with TEMP (<i>P</i>=0.02). Exercise performance in PREC_TEMP (54.58±4.35 min) was no different from TEMP. Initial power output was sustained until the end of the exercise in both TEMP and PREC_TEMP, but was reduced from the 12^th km until the end of the trial in HOT (P<0.05). This reduction was delayed by precooling because power output was reduced only after the 20^th km during PREC_HOT (P<0.05). Heart rate was similar in all conditions throughout almost the entire exercise, suggesting the maintenance of similar relative intensities. In conclusion, precooling was effective in attenuating, but not completely reversing thermal strain performance impairment and offered no ergogenic effect in the temperate environment.