The Effects of Facial Cooling on Fencing Performance

NCT ID: NCT05302739

Last Updated: 2022-03-31

Basic Information

• Recruitment Status: UNKNOWN
• Clinical Phase: NA
• Total Enrollment: 10 participants
• Study Classification: INTERVENTIONAL
• Study Start Date: 2022-04-20
• Study Completion Date: 2022-09-26

Brief Summary

Fencing competitions can last between nine and eleven hours, during which athletes wear layers of protective equipment that impair evaporative heat transfer and spend a large amount of time at exercise intensities > 85% maximum heart rate. Fencing performance can potentially contribute to heat stress due to increases in core temperature. Elevated core temperatures could hamper performance, and therefore the implementation of a strategy to reduce core temperature increases could lead to augmented fencing performance. Cooling methods are limited for use between fencing matches and during short breaks within a direct elimination match. Furthermore, due to multiple layers of thick protective equipment cooling method applications are limited primarily to the facial area. A potential cooling strategy, during fencing competition, includes the utilization of a water facial mist spray combined with fanning of the face. Therefore, the aim of this study is to investigate the novel use of facial cooling on core temperature, relevant physiological parameters, perceived exertion and thermal comfort and sensation during a simulated fencing competition performance, in male epee fencers.

Conditions

Hyperthermia

Study Design

• Allocation Method: RANDOMIZED
• Intervention Model: CROSSOVER
• Primary Study Purpose: PREVENTION
• Blinding Strategy: NONE

Study Groups

Facial cooling

Between each simulated fencing match participants will spend the first 30 s of rest having a facial water mist sprayed onto the face with accompanying fanning from 50 cm away from the face.

Group Type: EXPERIMENTAL

Facial cooling

Intervention Type: OTHER

30 s of water mist sprayed onto the face during breaks in a simulated fencing competition

Placebo

Group Type: NO_INTERVENTION

No interventions assigned to this group

Interventions

Facial cooling

30 s of water mist sprayed onto the face during breaks in a simulated fencing competition

Intervention Type: OTHER

Eligibility Criteria

Inclusion Criteria

• Trained fencers

Exclusion Criteria

• Injured or a contraindicative medical condition

• Minimum Eligible Age: 18 Years
• Maximum Eligible Age: 60 Years
• Eligible Sex: MALE
• Accepts Healthy Volunteers: Yes

Sponsors

St Mary's University College

OTHER

Sponsor Role: lead

Responsible Party

Responsibility Role: SPONSOR

Other Identifiers

StMarysUC3

Identifier Type: -

Identifier Source: org_study_id