Thermal stress, hydration, and salivary and respiratory stress markers in curling players performing a match in the cold

Abstract

Curling is a winter Olympic sport and a target-based team game that is played in a cold environment (5-10°C). Players release a stone into a target area on the ice called a house, and two teammates sweep the surface of the ice to guide the delivered stone toward the target, competing for points determined by which team can place more stones. Some studies have assessed curling athletes by characterizing heart rate response 1 and muscle activity 2