Report

Ice slurry ingestion lowers thermoregulatory strain in wheelchair tennis players.

Ice slurry ingestion (ICE) ameliorates thermal strain in wheelchair tennis players when consumed during exercise in the heat but does not result in any effect on subsequent repeated wheelchair sprint performance.

Lead academic:
Ben Stephenson, Thomas O'Brien, Michael Hutchinson
Additional academics:
C D'Angeli, A Cockram, B Mason, V Goosey-Tolfrey
Funder:
Lawn Tennis Association and the Peter Harrison Foundation.

Introduction:

Wheelchair tennis players are exposed to a range of environmental conditions when playing across the globe. Exercise in hot conditions challenges homeostatic temperature regulation, and elevates body temperature when metabolic heat production exceeds the capacity to dissipate heat. This heat imbalance may be exacerbated in athletes with a disability.

As a result of the potential risk to health and performance during wheelchair tennis match play in the heat, research has investigated cooling strategies that may lessen the thermal burden imposed. A common cooling method that is easily applied is ice slurry ingestion (ICE), which is effective at lowering core body temperature in nondisabled athletes. However, the efficacy of ICE as a per-cooling aid has not yet been studied in athletes with a disability.

Study aim: To detail the effects of per-cooling via ICE on thermoregulatory and performance measures in wheelchair tennis players exercising in the heat.

Methods:

Eight wheelchair tennis players undertook sprints (4 sets of 10 × 5 s over 40 min) in a hot environment (∼32 °C), interspersed by 3 boluses of 2.67 g·kg (6.8 g·kg total) ICE or drinking temperate water (control condition).

Athletes performed an on-court test of repeated sprint ability (20×20 m) in temperate conditions immediately before and 20 minutes after the heat exposure, and time to complete each sprint as well as intermediate times were recorded.

Gastrointestinal and weighted mean skin and forehead temperatures were collected throughout the heat exposure, as were thermal sensation, heart rate, and blood lactate concentration. Sweat rate was calculated from body mass changes and fluid/ice intakes.

Main findings:

  • Compared with the control condition, ICE resulted in a significantly lower gastrointestinal temperature (P < .001), forehead temperature (P < .001), thermal sensation (P = .017), and sweat rate (P = .017).
  • Skin temperature, heart rate, and blood lactate concentration were not significantly different between conditions.
  • There was no difference between conditions in athletes’ times during 20 × 20-m repeated sprints in a thermoneutral environment post-heating.

Reference:

Stephenson BT, O'Brien TJ, Hutchinson MJ, D'Angeli C, Cockram A, Mason BS, Goosey-Tolfrey VL. Ice Slurry Ingestion Lowers Thermoregulatory Strain in Wheelchair Tennis Players During Repeated Sprint Intervals in the Heat. Int J Sports Physiol Perform. 2022 Nov 11;17(12):1748-1755. DOI: 10.1123/ijspp.2022-0174. PMID: 36370704.

 

Image credit: © Paralympics GB