One hour of internal precooling with cold water/menthol enhances cycling performance in a heat/wet stress environment: A pilot study.

The aim of this study was to compare precooling durations before aerobic performance in a heat/ wet stress environment. Seven heat-acclimated and trained male cyclists completed 1-hour time trials in a hot and humid environment. Before each trial, the cyclists drank (1) a neutral beverage at 23°C during the 1-hour pre-exercise resting period (Neutral), (2) an ice-slush/menthol beverage at -1°C during the last 30 min of the resting period (Pre-30), or (3) an ice-slush/menthol beverage at -1°C during the 1-hour pre-exercise resting period (Pre-60). In each condition, the cyclists drank cold water/menthol at 3°C during the exercise. Performance was significantly higher in Pre-60 than in Pre-30 and Neutral conditions (condition effect: F(2,12)=9.50, p=0.003, ηp2=0.61), with no difference between Pre-30 and Neutral. During the resting period, rectal temperature was significantly lower in Pre-60 than in Pre-30 and Neutral (condition effect: F(2,12)=4.48, p=0.035, ηp2=0.43). Thermal comfort and rating of perceived exertion were not affected by conditions, but thermal sensation was positively affected in Pre-60 during the resting period (Friedman condition effect at 40, 45 and 60 minutes: χ2=6.74; df=2; p=0.035; χ2=8.00; df=2; p=0.018; χ2=4.90; df=2; p=0.086, respectively) and exercise (Friedman condition effect at 5 and 60 minutes: χ2=6.62; df=2; p=0.037; χ2=6.50; df=2; p=0.039, respectively). This study shows that 1 hour of precooling with an ice-slush and menthol beverage (1) improved performance in a 1-hour time trial, (2) had a cumulative effect with a cold water/menthol beverage during this exercise, and (3) decreased rectal temperature during the resting period. This precooling method enhances cycling performance in a heat/wet stress environment.

Cumulative pre-cooling methods do not enhance cycling performance in tropical climate.

The main objective of this study was to investigate the effect of mixed cooling techniques (combination of internal and external strategies, with and without menthol) during warm-up for a time trial in tropical climate. Seven heat-acclimatized trained male road cyclists participated in three experimental sessions consisting of 20-min cycling performances on a velodrome track in ecological hot and humid conditions (Guadeloupe, French West Indies; WBGT: 27.64±0.27°C; relative humidity: 76.43±2.19%), preceded by a standardized 30-min warm-up and the ingestion of cold menthol water (1) with a cooling vest soaked in ice water (ICE-VEST), (2) with a cooling vest soaked in ice menthol water (MEN-VEST), and (3) without a vest (NO-VEST). Cycling performance (total distance, distance traveled per 2-min block), physiological parameters (core body temperature recorded, heart rate) and perceptions (exertion, thermal comfort, thermal sensation) were assessed. No between-condition differences were found for physiological parameters, the total covered distance or the distance traveled per 2-min block. However, distance traveled per 2-min decreased with time (p = 0.03), with no difference between conditions, suggesting a variation in pace during the cycling performance trial (e.g., mean±SD: 1321±48.01m at T2; 1308±46.20m at T8, 1284±78.38m at T14, 1309±76.29m at T20). No between-condition differences were found for perception of exertion, thermal comfort and thermal sensation during the warm-up (11.83±3.34; 2.58±1.02; 4.39±0.94, respectively) and the performance (17.85±0.99; 2.70±1.25; 5.20±1.20, respectively) but the pairwise comparisons within condition revealed a significant increase of TS values from T0 (4.57±1.13) to T20 (6.00±0.58) only in NO-VEST condition (p = 0.04). The absence of modification of thermal sensation at the end of the cycling test under the mixed conditions (ICE-VEST and MEN-VEST) suggests a beneficial effect of wearing a cooling vest on thermal sensation although it had no effect on performance.

Immersion with menthol improves recovery between 2 cycling exercises in hot and humid environment.

Endurance exercise performance is impaired in a hot and humid environment. This study compared the effects of cold water immersion, with (CMWI) and without (CWI) menthol, on the recovery of cycling performance. Eight heat-acclimatized cyclists (age, 24.1 ± 4.4 years; mass, 65.3 ± 5.2 kg) performed 2 randomized sessions, each consisting of a 20-min cycling trial (T1) followed by 10 min of immersion during recovery and then a second 20-min cycling trial (T2). Mean power output and perceived exertion (RPE) were recorded for both trials. Rectal (Trec) and skin temperatures were measured before and immediately after T1, immersion, and T2. Perceived thermal sensation (TS) and comfort were measured immediately after T1 and T2. Power output was significantly improved in T2 compared with T1 in the CMWI condition (+15.6%). Performance did not change in the CWI condition. After immersion, Trec was lower in CWI (-1.17 °C) than in CMWI (-0.6 °C). TS decreased significantly after immersion in both conditions. This decline was significantly more pronounced in CMWI (5.9 ± 1 to 3.6 ± 0.5) than in CWI (5.6 ± 0.9 to 4.4 ± 1.2). In CMWI, RPE was significantly higher in T1 (6.57 ± 0.9) than in T2 (5.14 ± 1.25). However, there was no difference in TC. This study suggests that menthol immersion probably (i) improves the performance of a repeated 20-min cycling bout, (ii) decreases TS, and (iii) impairs thermoregulation processes.

Ingestion of a cold temperature/menthol beverage increases outdoor exercise performance in a hot, humid environment.

PURPOSE: A recent laboratory study demonstrated that the ingestion of a cold/menthol beverage improved exercise performance in a hot and humid environment during 20 km of all-out cycling. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine whether the ingestion of cold water/ice-slurry with menthol would improve performance in hot and humid outdoor conditions. METHODS: Ten trained males completed three trials of five blocks consisting of 4-km cycling and 1.5-km running. During warm-up, every block and recovery, the athletes drank 190 ml of aromatized (i.e., with 0.05 mL of menthol) beverage at three temperatures: Neutral (ambient temperature) (28.7°C±0. 5°C), Cold (3.1°C±0.6°C) or Ice-slurry (0.17°C±0.07°C). Trial time, core temperature (Tco), heart rate (HR), rate of perceived exertion (RPE), thermal sensation (TS) and thermal comfort (TC) were assessed. RESULTS: Ice-slurry/menthol increased performance by 6.2% and 3.3% compared with neutral water/menthol and cold water/menthol, respectively. No between-trial differences were noted for Tco, HR, RPE, TC and TS was lower with ice-slurry/menthol and cold water/menthol compared with neutral water/menthol. CONCLUSION: A low drink temperature combined with menthol lessens the performance decline in hot/humid outdoor conditions (i.e., compared with cold water alone). Performances were better with no difference in psycho-physiological stress (Tco, HR and RPE) between trials. The changes in perceptual parameters caused by absorbing a cold/menthol beverage reflect the psychological impact. The mechanism leading to these results seems to involve brain integration of signals from physiological and psychological sources.