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Table 3 Effect of face cooling on thermoregulatory responses and physical performance in the heat

From: Head, Face and Neck Cooling as Per-cooling (Cooling During Exercise) Modalities to Improve Exercise Performance in the Heat: A Narrative Review and Practical Applications

Study

Subjects

Ambient conditions

Cooling interventions

Exercise protocol

Tlocal

Perceptual outcomes

Thermoregulatory outcomes

Performance outcomes

Schlader et al. [12]

12 males

35 °C, 48% RH

Face cooling (20 °C air blown at 0.74 m/s)

Fixed RPE = 16

↓ Tface

↓ TS & TD, → RPE

→ Tcore & Tsk, → HR & SR

↑ Total work by 34 kJ (18%)

Stevens et al. [46]

9 male runners

32.5 ± 0.1 °C, 33.9 ± 5.8% RH

Intermittent facial water spray (Twater = 22 °C spraying once per km during the TT [15 sprays in total])

5 km TT running

↓ Tforehead

↓ TS, → RPE

→ HR & Bla & VO2 & VE & RER & SR, ↑ iEMG

↑ Time by − 36 s (2.4%)

Schlader et al. [47]

9 males & 1 female

24 ± 1 °C, 35 ± 15% RH

Face cooling (placing ice water bag on forehead, eyes & cheeks)

Passive heating

↓ Tforehead

NA

→ HR & CO & SkBF, ↓ BP

NA

Schlader et al. [48]

3 females (face-cooling) & 6 females (Sham trials)

24 ± 1 °C, 35 ± 15% RH

Face cooling (placing ice water bag on forehead, eyes & cheeks)

Supine position

↓ Tforehead

NA

↑ BP & FVR, → HR & CO

NA

Mündel et al. [49]

10 males

33 °C, 27 ± 1% RH, fan speed: 0.5 m/s

Face cooling (spraying cold water mist [4 °C] to maintain Tface < 28 °C)

Cycling 40 min at 77–78% VO2max

↓ Tforehead

→ TS, ↓ RPE

↓ Tcore, ↑ Tsk, ↓ HR & Dyspnea & PRL & Bla, → VO2 & WL & SR & Gluc & PV

NA

Mündel et al. [50]

12 males & 4 females

58 ± 1 °C, 13 ± 3% RH sauna

Face cooling (spraying ice-water mist [4 °C] for 10 s at 5-min intervals)

Passive heating

↓ Tforehead

↓ TS

→ Tcore, ↓ Tsk, → HR, ↓ PRL

NA

Armada-da-Silva et al. [51]

10 males

35 ± 1 °C, 20% RH

Face cooling (cold water mist using electric fan)

Cycling 14 min at 63% MPO

↓ Tface

→ TD, ↓ RPE

→ Tcore & Tsk, → HR & Gluc & Hematocrit, ↓ RPE legs & RPL

NA

Williams and Kilgour [52]

5 males

Not mentioned

Face cooling ( cold wind [0 ± 2 °C] from air conditioning unit via insulated tube [0.2 m diameter])

Supine cycling 30 min at 35% VO2max & 70% VO2max

↓ Tforehead

NA

→ Tcore, ↓ Tsk, → SV & CO & VO2 & VE, ↓ HR, ↑ BP

NA

Kratzing & Cross [53]

6 males & 4 females

46 °C, low RH

Face cooling (cold air jet from tubing towards nose under a face mask)

Cycling 15 min at 25–32 km/h

NA

NA

→ HR & BP

NA

Miyazawa et al. [54]

10 males

35 °C, 50% RH

Face cooling (10 s at every 2 intervals or 4-min cooling during exercise (0 °C gel pack) or 10 s at every 2 min(20 °C gel pack)

65% peak power

↓ Tface

↓ RPE

↓ Tcore, → Tsk, → HR & SR

NA

Riera et al. [55]

5 males & 3 females

29.6 ± 0.6C; 79 ± 10% RH

Face cooling (1.2 °C water or 22 °C water)

Five times 400 m swim

NA

→ TS, ↓ TD

→ Tcore,→ HR

↑swimming velocity

  1. → no change, ↑ increase, ↓ decrease, Bla blood lactate concentration, BP blood pressure, CO cardiac output, FVR forearm vascular resistance, Gluc glucose concentration, HR heart rate, iEMG integrated electromyography, NA not available, PPO peak power output, PRL blood prolactin concentration, PV plasma volume, RER respiratory exchange ratio, RH relative humidity, RPE rating of perceived exertion, SkBF skin blood flow, SR sweat rate, SV stroke volume, Tcore core temperature, Tlocal local skin temperature, TD thermal discomfort, Tface face skin temperature, Tforehead forehead skin temperature, TS thermal sensation, Tsk skin temperature, TT time trial, TTE time to exhaustion, VE minute ventilation, VO2 oxygen uptake, VO2max maximal oxygen uptake, WL weight loss