•  
  •  
 

COMPARATIVE IMPACT OF PALM COOLING TEMPERATURES ON ERGOGENIC AND CARDIOVASCULAR INDICES

Abstract

Neel L. Patel, Chris E. Colborn, Steve R. Soltysiak, Alex CS Shefflette, Elisabeth J. Dichiara, Alexandria C. Vanhoover, John F. Caruso. University of Louisville, Louisville, KY.

BACKGROUND: Palm cooling has proven beneficial to health and exercise performance, yet an optimal temperature has yet to be identified. METHODS: To identify a palm cooling temperature that optimizes ergogenic and cardiovascular responses, twelve women and eight men did three multi-stage rowing ergometry workouts. In a randomized sequence, and as they wore fabricated palm cooling gloves equipped with a nylon mesh pouch for workouts, gel packs at one of three average temperatures (10.6, 12.6, or 14.9o C) were inserted into the pouches. Per workout, distance rowed, heart rate (HR), systolic and diastolic blood pressures (SBP, DBP) were recorded before, during and after rowing. Distance rowed values were compared with two-way (gender, condition) ANCOVAs, with repeated measures for condition. Cardiovascular variables were compared with three-way (condition, gender, time) ANCOVAs, with repeated measures for condition and time. Within-subject contrasts were our post-hoc, and alpha = 0.05 denoted significance. RESULTS: Distance rowed results yielded non-significant differences. DBP results had a significant time-by-gender interaction, as women had significantly higher values than men at five and ten-minutes post-exercise. HR results included a significant condition x time interaction, with 10.6 < 12.6 and 14.9o C after rowing stage four, as well as at five, ten and 15-minutes post-exercise. SBP results included main effects for condition (10.6 < 12.6 and 14.9o C) and time. For time, our post-hoc showed post-bike and five-minutes post-exercise values were significantly higher than all others measured. CONCLUSIONS: HR and SBP outcomes imply 10.6o C, since it produced lower values for each variable despite similar distance rowed results as the other temperature conditions, may be optimal since it imposed less cardiovascular demand from rowing ergometry workouts.

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS