Association between physiological stress and skin temperature response after a half marathon

Area of Science:

• Sports Medicine
• Exercise Physiology
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Physiological stress following endurance events like half marathons can be assessed through various biomarkers.
• Skin temperature, measurable via infrared thermography, is proposed as a non-invasive indicator of physiological status.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the association between skin temperature fluctuations and physiological stress markers post-half marathon.
• To determine if skin temperature can predict physiological stress in runners.

Main Methods:

• Seventeen runners were monitored for skin temperature, blood markers (CK, GOT), pain/fatigue perception, and jump performance before and after a half marathon.
• Infrared thermography was used for skin temperature measurements.
• Visual analogue scales and countermovement jump tests assessed pain/fatigue and performance.

Main Results:

• Significant increases in creatine kinase (CK), glutamate oxaloacetate transaminase (GOT), and perceived fatigue/pain were observed 24 hours post-race.
• Jump performance decreased post-race.
• No significant increase in skin temperature was detected, and it could not predict overall physiological stress. Weak correlations were found between specific variations in CK and pain perception with localized skin temperatures.

Conclusions:

• Basal skin temperature monitoring is not a reliable method for detecting physiological stress after a half marathon.
• Caution is advised when interpreting skin temperature changes in field sports assessments due to limited predictive value for physiological stress.