Effect of Peripheral Cooling on Interval Work Performance in Ambient and Hot Conditions

The effect of peripheral cooling on interval work performance in ambient and hot conditions was investigated in 4 male varsity rowers ages 18 – 22, with a nude equivalent weight of 78.23 +/- 4.19 kg. Subjects performed 4 trials consisting of 5 rounds of 5 minutes of near maximal work performed on a Concept II rowing ergometer, followed by 5 minutes of active recovery in both a moderate (24°C) and hot (30°C) environment. During rest intervals subjects were either cooled or noncooled via the use of a peripheral cooling device called The Glove ,which applied a -40 mmhg pressure and a 17 C cooling effect to the palmar surface. Subject trial order was randomized. Heart rate, blood lactate, esophageal temperature, 6 site skin temperature, and cumulative and individual work bout meters rowed were measured for all trials. Subjects performed an average of 6,415.37 +/- 1,057.57 total meters per trial. However, adjusting for incomplete trials, due to either subject fatigue or termination criteria being reached yielded a more representative average of 6,787.07 +/- 322.42 total meters per trial. Performing a three way ANOVA with repeated measures analysis of all results indicated that there were no significant differences in work performed in both cumulative and individual work bouts, nor in subjects' heart rate, blood lactate, Tesoph, T-skin, between non-cooled and cooled trials and/or 30 °C and 24 °C environmental test conditions. However, while there were no statistically significant differences it should be noted that due to the small subject number of 4, and incomplete data sets within the subject population, this study's resultant power (.144), is insufficient to definitely claim success or failure of the peripheral cooling devices effectiveness on interval work performance in both warm and hot environments. Further studies with a more controlled work rate are required to conclusively determine the effectiveness of peripheral cooling on interval work performance