Skip to main content
PMC home page
British Journal of Sports Medicine logoLink to British Journal of Sports Medicine
. 2002 Apr;36(2):89–94. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.36.2.89

Methods, advantages, and limitations of body cooling for exercise performance

F Marino 1
PMCID: PMC1724476  PMID: 11916888

Full Text

The Full Text of this article is available as a PDF (119.2 KB).

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Ball D., Burrows C., Sargeant A. J. Human power output during repeated sprint cycle exercise: the influence of thermal stress. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1999 Mar;79(4):360–366. doi: 10.1007/s004210050521. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Bergh U., Ekblom B. Physical performance and peak aerobic power at different body temperatures. J Appl Physiol Respir Environ Exerc Physiol. 1979 May;46(5):885–889. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1979.46.5.885. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Blomstrand E., Bergh U., Essén-Gustavsson B., Ekblom B. Influence of low muscle temperature on muscle metabolism during intense dynamic exercise. Acta Physiol Scand. 1984 Feb;120(2):229–236. doi: 10.1111/j.1748-1716.1984.tb00128.x. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Bolster D. R., Trappe S. W., Short K. R., Scheffield-Moore M., Parcell A. C., Schulze K. M., Costill D. L. Effects of precooling on thermoregulation during subsequent exercise. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1999 Feb;31(2):251–257. doi: 10.1097/00005768-199902000-00008. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Booth J., Marino F., Ward J. J. Improved running performance in hot humid conditions following whole body precooling. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1997 Jul;29(7):943–949. doi: 10.1097/00005768-199707000-00014. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. Booth J., Wilsmore B. R., Macdonald A. D., Zeyl A., Mcghee S., Calvert D., Marino F. E., Storlien L. H., Taylor N. A. Whole-body pre-cooling does not alter human muscle metabolism during sub-maximal exercise in the heat. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2001 Jun;84(6):587–590. doi: 10.1007/s004210100410. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Cotter J. D., Sleivert G. G., Roberts W. S., Febbraio M. A. Effect of pre-cooling, with and without thigh cooling, on strain and endurance exercise performance in the heat. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol. 2001 Apr;128(4):667–677. doi: 10.1016/s1095-6433(01)00273-2. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Drust B., Cable N. T., Reilly T. Investigation of the effects of the pre-cooling on the physiological responses to soccer-specific intermittent exercise. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2000 Jan;81(1-2):11–17. doi: 10.1007/PL00013782. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Falls H. B., Humphrey L. D. Cold water application effects on responses to heat stress during exercise. Res Q. 1971 Mar;42(1):21–29. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Falls H. B., Humphrey L. D. Effect of length of cold showers on skin temperatures and exercise heart rate. Res Q. 1970 Oct;41(3):353–360. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Febbraio M. A. Does muscle function and metabolism affect exercise performance in the heat? Exerc Sport Sci Rev. 2000 Oct;28(4):171–176. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  12. Febbraio M. A., Snow R. J., Stathis C. G., Hargreaves M., Carey M. F. Blunting the rise in body temperature reduces muscle glycogenolysis during exercise in humans. Exp Physiol. 1996 Jul;81(4):685–693. doi: 10.1113/expphysiol.1996.sp003969. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  13. Gold A. J., Zornitzer A. Effect of partial body cooling on man exercising in a hot, dry environment. Aerosp Med. 1968 Sep;39(9):944–946. [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  14. González-Alonso J., Teller C., Andersen S. L., Jensen F. B., Hyldig T., Nielsen B. Influence of body temperature on the development of fatigue during prolonged exercise in the heat. J Appl Physiol (1985) 1999 Mar;86(3):1032–1039. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1999.86.3.1032. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  15. Hessemer V., Langusch D., Brück L. K., Bödeker R. H., Breidenbach T. Effect of slightly lowered body temperatures on endurance performance in humans. J Appl Physiol Respir Environ Exerc Physiol. 1984 Dec;57(6):1731–1737. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1984.57.6.1731. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  16. Kay D., Marino F. E., Cannon J., St Clair Gibson A., Lambert M. I., Noakes T. D. Evidence for neuromuscular fatigue during high-intensity cycling in warm, humid conditions. Eur J Appl Physiol. 2001 Jan-Feb;84(1-2):115–121. doi: 10.1007/s004210000340. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  17. Kay D., Marino F. E. Fluid ingestion and exercise hyperthermia: implications for performance, thermoregulation, metabolism and the development of fatigue. J Sports Sci. 2000 Feb;18(2):71–82. doi: 10.1080/026404100365135. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  18. Kay D., Taaffe D. R., Marino F. E. Whole-body pre-cooling and heat storage during self-paced cycling performance in warm humid conditions. J Sports Sci. 1999 Dec;17(12):937–944. doi: 10.1080/026404199365326. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  19. Kruk B., Pekkarinen H., Manninen K., Hänninen O. Comparison in men of physiological responses to exercise of increasing intensity at low and moderate ambient temperatures. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1991;62(5):353–357. doi: 10.1007/BF00634972. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  20. Lee D. T., Haymes E. M. Exercise duration and thermoregulatory responses after whole body precooling. J Appl Physiol (1985) 1995 Dec;79(6):1971–1976. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1995.79.6.1971. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  21. Marino F. E., Mbambo Z., Kortekaas E., Wilson G., Lambert M. I., Noakes T. D., Dennis S. C. Advantages of smaller body mass during distance running in warm, humid environments. Pflugers Arch. 2000 Dec;441(2-3):359–367. doi: 10.1007/s004240000432. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  22. Marsh D., Sleivert G. Effect of precooling on high intensity cycling performance. Br J Sports Med. 1999 Dec;33(6):393–397. doi: 10.1136/bjsm.33.6.393. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  23. Nielsen B., Hales J. R., Strange S., Christensen N. J., Warberg J., Saltin B. Human circulatory and thermoregulatory adaptations with heat acclimation and exercise in a hot, dry environment. J Physiol. 1993 Jan;460:467–485. doi: 10.1113/jphysiol.1993.sp019482. [DOI] [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  24. Nielsen B. Olympics in Atlanta: a fight against physics. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 1996 Jun;28(6):665–668. doi: 10.1097/00005768-199606000-00004. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  25. Nybo L., Nielsen B. Hyperthermia and central fatigue during prolonged exercise in humans. J Appl Physiol (1985) 2001 Sep;91(3):1055–1060. doi: 10.1152/jappl.2001.91.3.1055. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  26. Olschewski H., Brück K. Thermoregulatory, cardiovascular, and muscular factors related to exercise after precooling. J Appl Physiol (1985) 1988 Feb;64(2):803–811. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1988.64.2.803. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  27. Romet T. T. Mechanism of afterdrop after cold water immersion. J Appl Physiol (1985) 1988 Oct;65(4):1535–1538. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1988.65.4.1535. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  28. Schmidt V., Brück K. Effect of a precooling maneuver on body temperature and exercise performance. J Appl Physiol Respir Environ Exerc Physiol. 1981 Apr;50(4):772–778. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1981.50.4.772. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  29. Sleivert G. G., Cotter J. D., Roberts W. S., Febbraio M. A. The influence of whole-body vs. torso pre-cooling on physiological strain and performance of high-intensity exercise in the heat. Comp Biochem Physiol A Mol Integr Physiol. 2001 Apr;128(4):657–666. doi: 10.1016/s1095-6433(01)00272-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  30. Smith R. M., Hanna J. M. Skinfolds and resting heat loss in cold air and water: temperature equivalence. J Appl Physiol. 1975 Jul;39(1):93–102. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1975.39.1.93. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  31. VEGHTE J. H., WEBB P. Body cooling and response to heat. J Appl Physiol. 1961 Mar;16:235–238. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1961.16.2.235. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  32. Webb P. Afterdrop of body temperature during rewarming: an alternative explanation. J Appl Physiol (1985) 1986 Feb;60(2):385–390. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1986.60.2.385. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  33. Webb P., Annis J. F. Cooling required to suppress sweating during work. J Appl Physiol. 1968 Nov;25(5):489–493. doi: 10.1152/jappl.1968.25.5.489. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from British Journal of Sports Medicine are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES