Heat Acclimation with Blood Flow Restriction Improves Cognitive-Motor Dual-Task Ability and Neuromuscular Fatigue

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Environmental Physiology
• Sports Science

Background:

• Exercise in hot environments challenges cognitive and neuromuscular functions.
• Heat acclimation (HA) is a known strategy to improve heat tolerance.
• Blood flow restriction (BFR) may augment physiological adaptations to exercise.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate if heat acclimation (HA) and HA with blood flow restriction (BFR) can attenuate impairments in cognition and neuromuscular function during cognitive-motor dual-task (CMDT) exercise-heat stress.
• To compare the effects of BFR during HA (BFR_HA) versus standard HA (CTRL_HA) on physiological and performance outcomes.

Main Methods:

• Twenty trained adults underwent six HA sessions combining cycling intervals with hot water immersion.
• One group performed exercise with BFR (BFR_HA), while the control group did not (CTRL_HA).
• Pre- and post-HA tests involved an exercise-heat stress test with CMDT and neuromuscular function assessment.

Main Results:

• Both HA protocols induced effective heat adaptations, reducing heart rate and rectal temperature.
• Both groups improved attentional performance and reduced perceived mental effort during CMDT.
• BFR_HA demonstrated an enhanced mitigation of central fatigue and reduced force loss compared to CTRL_HA.

Conclusions:

• Both HA and BFR_HA protocols effectively improve heat tolerance and cognitive performance under exercise-heat stress.
• BFR_HA offers additional benefits by mitigating central fatigue, preserving neuromuscular function.
• These findings suggest BFR may be a valuable adjunct to HA for athletes training in hot conditions.