Impact of a Cold Environment on the Performance of Professional Cyclists: A Pilot Study

Abstract

The practice of physical activity in a variable climate during the same competition is becoming more and more common due to climate change and increasingly frequent climate disturbances. The main aim of this pilot study was to understand the impact of cold ambient temperature on performance factors during a professional cycling race. Six professional athletes (age = 27 ± 2.7 years; height = 180.86 ± 5.81 cm; weight = 74.09 ± 9.11 kg; % fat mass = 8.01 ± 2.47%; maximum aerobic power (MAP) = 473 ± 26.28 W, undertook ~20 h training each week at the time of the study) participated in the Tour de la Provence under cold environmental conditions (the ambient temperature was 15.6 ± 1.4 °C with a relative humidity of 41 ± 8.5% and the normalized ambient temperature (Tawc) was 7.77 ± 2.04 °C). Body core temperature (Tco) was measured with an ingestible capsule. Heart rate (HR), power, speed, cadence and the elevation gradient were read from the cyclists’ onboard performance monitors. The interaction (multivariate analysis of variance) of the Tawc and the elevation gradient has a significant impact (F(1.5) = 32.2; p < 0.001) on the variables (cadence, power, velocity, core temperature, heart rate) and on each individual. Thus, this pilot study shows that in cold environmental conditions, the athlete’s performance was limited by weather parameters (ambient temperature associated with air velocity) and race characteristics. The interaction of Tawc and elevation gradient significantly influences thermal (Tco), physiological (HR) and performance (power, speed and cadence) factors. Therefore, it is advisable to develop warm-up, hydration and clothing strategies for competitive cycling under cold ambient conditions and to acclimatize to the cold by training in the same conditions to those that may be encountered in competition.

Stretchable electronic skin patch with strain isolation for the simultaneous measurements of surface electromyography and temperature

“…In studies of human muscle activity, information such as temperatures of skin and muscle have an apparent effect on the sEMG signals [9][10][11][12][13][14]. Figuring out this effect is crucial and may provide additional guidance for the muscle thermotherapy [15][16][17] and cryostimulation therapy [18][19][20][21][22][23][24]. To fulfill the need of temperature measurement, incorporating resistance temperature sensors into the electronic skin patch with electrodes is a simple yet efficient solution.…”

Collagen peptide supplementation before bedtime reduces sleep fragmentation and improves cognitive function in physically active males with sleep complaints

“…On day 7, participants reported to the lab in the evening (≥ 16:00), had a venous blood and urine sample collected, consumed a telemetric temperature pill (E-celsius Performance Pill, Body Cap, France) and performed a battery of cognitive function tests. Although the timing of pill ingestion (1 – 12 h before) does not appear to interfere with the validity of the sensor [ 47 ], consistent with previous studies, we provided the pill 5–8 h before our first recording [ 46 , 48 ], to ensure passage from the stomach. These telemetric pills have been shown to have excellent reliability and validity [ 49 ] and are considered the industry standard for temperature monitoring [ 50 ].…”

New Advances in Human Thermophysiology

“…In this sense, breathing air at 23 °C compared to 33 °C improves performance capacity and reduces discomfort [ 9 ]. Last but not least, a pilot study suggested that in cold environmental conditions, the running performance was reduced [ 11 ].…”

“…The papers published in this Special Issue discuss the topics of greatest concern to the population and the scientific community from the perspective of human thermophysiology. Most of the articles evaluate how the physiological response during or after exercise is affected by extreme environmental conditions, such as high temperatures [ 7 ], hot and humid environments [ 8 , 9 ], dehydration status [ 10 ] or even cold environments [ 11 ]. This issue is of concern to society as a whole, since global warming is an established threat, greatly impacting our environment [ 12 ].…”

“…In addition, the results of Chabert et al could recommend the modification of the breathed air temperature during aerobic exercise [ 9 ]. On the other hand, adequate warm-up, hydration, training acclimatization, and clothing strategies for cycling under cold ambient conditions are recommended [ 11 ]. Concerning prevention strategies, it has recently been investigated whether the evaluation of changes in baseline skin temperature could be a good indicator of muscle damage.…”