NeuroRescue, Inc.

During exercise in the heat, the thermoregulatory system impacts performance in an athletic population. Increased in core body temperature could lead to development of heat-related illnesses and impair physical performance. To facilitate heat loss and optimize performance during exercise in the heat, various cooling strategies, including cold water immersion and wearable cooling devices have been previously explored. Although whole body cooling by cold water immersion is considered to be the most effective way to reduce core body temperature, this cooling method would not be feasible for athletes during practice or competition. Therefore, previous studies strongly recommended neck cooling during exercise because of the rate of heat dissipation through the large blood vessel and accessibility compared to other body part. Furthermore, multiple studies reported that the neck cooling could improve aerobic performance (i.e. running distance and time). In addition to physiological changes, human prefer to be cool in the neck region as well as the face in hot environment. Thus, local cooling of the neck is efficient way to reduce thermal discomfort during heat exposure. The novel neck cooling collar device (NeuroRescue Inc., Lafayette, LA) used in the current study may be able to produce powerful effect of conductive cooling, which result in improving performance and also reduce thermal discomfort during exercise in the heat.
While this neck cooling collar would assist athletes in improving sports safety and performance by decreasing skin temperature around the neck, the effectiveness of this neck cooling collar on core temperature was not examined at this point. Moreover, other physiological and perceptual changes are important to assess along with changes in core body temperature. Therefore, this study aims to examine how internal body temperature, heart rate, perceptual measures, and athletic performance are affected by the novel neck cooling collar during exercise in the heat.