Abstract
Purpose
We assessed whether plasma lactate accumulation increased and the lactate threshold (LT) declined when the skin temperature was lowered by whole body skin surface cooling before exercise in cool, but not temperate, conditions, and whether the lowered LT was associated with sympathetic activation or lowered plasma volume (PV) by cold-induced diuresis.
Methods
Ten healthy subjects performed a graded maximal cycling exercise after pre-conditioning under three different conditions for 60 min. Ambient temperature (using an artificial climatic chamber) and water temperature in a water-perfusion suit controlled at 25 and 34 °C in temperate–neutral (Temp–Neut); 25 and 10 °C in temperate–cool (Temp–Cool); and at 10 and 10 °C in cool–cool (Cool–Cool) conditions, respectively. Esophageal (Tes) and skin temperatures were measured; plasma lactate ([Lac]p) and noradrenaline concentrations ([Norad]p), and relative change in PV (%ΔPV) were determined before and after pre-conditioning and during exercise, and LT was determined.
Results
After pre-conditioning, Tes was not different among trials, whereas the mean skin temperature was lower in Cool–Cool and Temp–Cool than in Temp–Neut (P < 0.001). During exercise, [Lac]p and [Norad]p were higher (P = 0.009 and P < 0.001, respectively) and LT was lower (P = 0.013) in Cool–Cool than in the other trials. The %ΔPV was not different among trials. LT was correlated with [Norad]p during exercise (R = 0.50, P = 0.005).
Conclusions
Whole body skin surface cooling before exercise increases lactate accumulation and decreases LT with sympathetic activation when exercise is performed in a cool, but not in a temperate, environment.
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Abbreviations
- T a :
-
Ambient temperature
- ANOVA:
-
Analysis of variance
- CHOox :
-
Carbohydrate oxidation
- \(\dot {V}{\text{C}}{{\text{O}}_2}\) :
-
Carbon dioxide production
- T chest :
-
Chest temperature
- DBP:
-
Diastolic blood pressure
- T es :
-
Esophageal temperature
- \(\dot {V}E\) :
-
Expired ventilatory volume
- HR:
-
Heart rate
- Hct:
-
Hematocrit
- [Hb]:
-
Hemoglobin concentration
- hANP:
-
Human atrial natriuretic peptide
- LT:
-
Lactate threshold
- T leg :
-
Leg temperature
- FATox :
-
Lipid oxidation
- \({\bar {T}_{{\text{sk}}}}\) :
-
Mean skin temperature
- [Norad]p :
-
Noradrenaline concentration
- \(\dot {V}{{\text{O}}_2}\) :
-
Oxygen uptake
- \(\dot {V}{{\text{O}}_2}\) peak :
-
Peak oxygen uptake
- [Glu]p :
-
Plasma glucose concentrations
- [Lac]p :
-
Plasma lactate concentrations
- P osm :
-
Plasma osmolality
- [RA]p :
-
Plasma renin activity
- PV:
-
Plasma volume
- %ΔPV:
-
Relative change in plasma volume
- RH:
-
Relative humidity
- RER:
-
Respiratory exchange ratio
- SEM:
-
Standard error of the mean
- SBP:
-
Systolic blood pressure
- Temp–Neut:
-
Temperate–neutral
- Temp–Cool:
-
Temperate–cool
- T thigh :
-
Thigh temperature
- [TP]p :
-
Total protein concentration
- T arm :
-
Upper arm temperature
- T w :
-
Water temperature
- W:
-
Watt
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Acknowledgements
We are very grateful to the volunteers who participated in this study. We also thank Dr. Takaaki Okumoto from our laboratory for useful comments and suggestions regarding this manuscript. This study was supported in part by a Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists B25750332 (to D. Imai) from the Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology of Japan.
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Communicated by Narihiko Kondo.
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Imai, D., Takeda, R., Suzuki, A. et al. Effects of skin surface cooling before exercise on lactate accumulation in cool environment. Eur J Appl Physiol 118, 551–562 (2018). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-017-3797-4
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00421-017-3797-4