The Effect Of A Pre-cooling Ice Slurry On Repeat Sprint Perforrmance

Repeat sprints can be defined as repetitive acts of high intensity movements followed by short rest periods. This is the main mode of locomotion in most field and court based sports. Repeat sprint ability (RSA) is a measurable characteristic of an athlete that refers to their ability to recover and maintain maximal sprint speeds over multiple attempts. Fatigue is an influencing factor on RSA, increases in core temperature have been suggested to be a major contributor to fatigue. Precooling has demonstrated efficacy in lowering the body’s core temperature prior to exercise. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of an ice slurry beverage in a precooling protocol on RSA. Methodology: Fifteen recreationally active college aged males (21.8 ± 2 years) participated in the study. The pre-cooling protocol consisted of control (no beverage intake), ingesting room temperature water or an ice slurry (7.5 g/kg of bodyweight) in 3-10 minute increments for 30 minutes prior to the start of exercise. Following the precooling, subjects completed a 5x40m sprint protocol with 30s of passive recovery. RPE, core temperature and sprint time were all recorded after every sprint with mean sprint time and fatigue index also being calculated. RESULTS: Pre-Cooling using an ice slurry significantly decreased core temperature compared to the control group (p = 0.02). There was no significant difference in peak or mean sprint times between conditions, p = 0.75 and p = 0.96 respectively. Additionally, there was no difference between conditions for fatigue index (p = 0.99) and RPE (p = 0.59). CONCLUSION: Pre-cooling protocol consisting of an ice slurry was effective at lowering core temperature vs the control condition. However, this did not yield any significant differences in RSA for our subjects. Research with a repeat sprint protocol inducing more thermal strain should be conducted to further investigate the potential benefits of pre-cooling.