Intermittent face cooling reduces perceived exertion during exercise in a hot environment

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Environmental Heat Stress
• Human Performance

Background:

• Facial cooling (FC) is a recognized method for enhancing endurance exercise performance in hot environments.
• This study investigates the specific impact of intermittent, short-duration FC on perceived exertion during exercise.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of intermittent facial cooling on reducing ratings of perceived exertion (RPE) during prolonged exercise in a hot environment.
• To compare the effects of different cooling frequencies and temperatures on RPE.

Main Methods:

• Ten healthy males completed 40 minutes of cycling at 65% peak heart rate in a 35°C, 50% relative humidity climatic chamber.
• Intermittent facial cooling (10-second applications of 0°C gel packs) was administered at 2-minute (FC2) and 4-minute (FC4) intervals, alongside a control (CONT) condition.
• A further trial (FC2-20) used 20°C gel packs at 2-minute intervals.

Main Results:

• Facial cooling at 4-minute intervals (FC4) significantly reduced RPE compared to control from 20 minutes onwards.
• Continuous reduction in RPE was observed in the FC2 trial compared to control throughout the 40 minutes.
• While FC2-20 showed initial RPE reduction, its effectiveness diminished over time, with higher RPE than FC2 at 35 minutes.

Conclusions:

• Intermittent short-lasting facial cooling effectively decreases perceived exertion during exercise in heat.
• More frequent cooling intervals and lower temperatures (0°C vs. 20°C) result in a greater reduction in the rise of perceived exertion.