AUTHOR=Bayne Freya , Racinais Sebastien , Mileva Katya N. , Hunter Steve , Gaoua Nadia 

TITLE=The Type of Per-Cooling Strategies Currently Employed by Competitive and Professional Cyclists-Triathletes During Training and Competition Are Condition (Dry vs. Humid) Dependant

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Sports and Active Living

VOLUME=Volume 4 - 2022

YEAR=2022

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/sports-and-active-living/articles/10.3389/fspor.2022.845427

DOI=10.3389/fspor.2022.845427

ISSN=2624-9367

ABSTRACT=Purpose: To investigate cooling strategies employed by athletes (cyclists-triathletes) during training and competition in hot and dry (HD) and hot and humid (HH) conditions.
Methods: 35 athletes completed an online questionnaire on the type, timing and justification of cooling strategies employed during past training and/or competitions in HD and HH conditions. In addition, 3 athletes also completed a one-to-one follow-up interview. 
Results: Comparisons between strategies employed in all conditions were based on N=14 (40%). Cold-water pouring was the most employed (N= 4; 21%) strategy during training and/or competing in hot conditions. The timing of the strategies employed were based on pitstops only (N= 7; 50%). The justification for strategies employed were based on trial and error (N=9, 42.85%: N=10, 47.61%). All athletes rated strategies employed as 1 (“not effective for minimizing performance impairments and heat related illnesses). Comparisons between HD and HH were based on N=21 (60%) who employed different strategies based on condition. Cold-water ingestion was the most employed (N=9, 43%) strategy in HD, whereas a combination of cold-water ingestion and pouring was the most employed (N=9, 43%) strategy in HH. The timing of strategies employed in HD were split; pre-planned by distance but were modified based on how athletes felt during (N=8, 38%), and pre-planned by distance and pit stops (N=8, 38%). The timing of strategies employed in HH were pre-planned based on distance and how athletes felt during (N=9, 42%). 57% (N=12) of the 60% (N=21) perceived effectiveness in HD and HH as 3 (“Sometimes effective and sometimes not effective”) whereas, 43% (N=9) of the 60% (N=21) perceived effectiveness in HD and HH as 4 (“Effective for minimizing performance impairments”).
Conclusion: Cold-water ingestion is the preferred strategy by athletes in HD compared to a combination of cold-water ingestion and pouring in HH conditions. All strategies were pre-planned and trialed based on distance and how athletes felt during training and/or competition. These strategies were perceived as effective for minimizing performance impairments but not heat related illnesses. Future studies should evaluate the effectiveness of these cooling strategies on performance and thermoregulatory responses in HD and HH conditions.