Table 2.
Single and repeated topical menthol application—accepted consensus statements (a–j) from round 1, 2, and 3 for (3) Experimental Effects
| Item | Question no. | Domain | Context | Statement | Agree/disagree | Round achieved | Caveat |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| a | 37 | (3) Experimental effects | Improves thermal discomfort (i.e., participants feel more comfortable) | Single topical Menthol Application reliably induces the following experimental effects during exercise in the heat | Agree | 1 | – |
| b | 38 | (3) Experimental effects | Lowers thermal sensation (i.e., participants feel cooler on topical application) | Single topical Menthol Application reliably induces the following experimental effects during exercise in the heat | Agree | 1 | - |
| c | 39 | (3) Experimental effects | Lowers rating of perceived exertion for a given workload | Single topical Menthol Application reliably induces the following experimental effects during exercise in the heat | Agree | 1 | – |
| d | 40 | (3) Experimental effects | Alters behavioural thermoregulation (i.e., participants can exercise for longer/work at a higher intensity) | Single topical Menthol Application reliably induces the following experimental effects during exercise in the heat | Agree | 3 | In fixed intensity/perceptual or tolerance based protocols |
| e | 41 | (3) Experimental effects | Alters reflex thermoregulatory heat defense responses of sweating | Single topical Menthol Application reliably induces the following experimental effects during exercise in the heat | Agree | 3 | At 0.20% menthol spray descriptively decreasedsweat rate in Gillis et al. [29] and 0.80% menthol in Lee et al. [47] delayed sweat onset. Kounalakis et al. [44] showed delayed sweating in swimmers/non swimmers. Surface area and concentration-dependent. |
| f | 42 | (3) Experimental effects | Alters reflex thermoregulatory heat defense responses of peripheral blood flow | Single topical Menthol Application reliably induces the following experimental effects during exercise in the heat | Agree | 1 | – |
| g | 49 | (3) Experimental effects | Is body surface area dependent for the magnitude of its experimental effects | Single topical Menthol Application reliably induces the following experimental effects during exercise in the heat | Agree | 1 | – |
| h | 50 | (3) Experimental effects | Is concentration-dependent for the magnitude of its experimental effects | Single topical Menthol Application reliably induces the following experimental effects during exercise in the heat | Agree | 1 | – |
| i | 52 | (3) Experimental effects | Lowers thermal sensation (i.e., participants feel cooler on topical application) | Repeated topical Menthol Application reliably induces the following experimental effects during exercise in the heat | Agree | 1 | – |
| j | 54 | (3) Experimental effects | Alters behavioural thermoregulation (i.e., participants can exercise for longer/work at a higher intensity) | Repeated topical Menthol Application reliably induces the following experimental effects during exercise in the heat | Agree | 1 | – |