British journal of sports medicine
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Cooling strategies improve intermittent sprint performance in the heat of athletes with tetraplegia.
Precooling has been shown to enhance performance in repeated sprint exercise in able-bodied subjects in a hot environment. Spinal cord injury causes thermoregulatory impairment with a detrimental effect on performance. This study assessed whether cooling strategies before and during exercise in the heat enhances sprint performance in athletes with tetraplegia. ⋯ Athletes with tetraplegia should use a precooling or during-exercise cooling strategy specific to the characteristics of their sport when exercising in hot conditions.