Internal and external cooling methods and their effect on body temperature, thermal perception and dexterity

Area of Science:

• Occupational Health
• Thermoregulation
• Human Performance

Background:

• Occupational workers often face heat stress, necessitating effective cooling strategies.
• Understanding the impact of various cooling methods on physiological and performance outcomes is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To compare the efficacy of different cooling methods on body temperature, thermal perception, and manual dexterity in a simulated occupational setting.
• To identify optimal pre-cooling strategies for workers.

Main Methods:

• Ten male participants underwent eight cooling trials, including ice cooling vests, phase change cooling vests, evaporative cooling vests, arm immersion, water-perfused suits, heliox inhalation, and ice slushy ingestion.
• Body temperature (rectal and skin), thermal sensation, comfort, and manual dexterity (grip strength, pinch strength, Purdue pegboard task) were assessed.

Main Results:

• Ice slushy ingestion was the only method to significantly reduce rectal temperature.
• External cooling methods reduced skin temperature, with ice cooling vests being most effective.
• Arm immersion significantly impaired fine manual dexterity (Purdue pegboard task).

Conclusions:

• Ice ingestion and direct skin cooling (ice) show the most promise for reducing core and skin temperatures, respectively.
• Arm immersion should be avoided when fine manual dexterity is required.
• Findings inform the selection of appropriate pre-cooling interventions for occupational workers to balance thermoregulation and performance.