Following a World Championship marked by competitions under extreme conditions and an intense summer heatwave, athletes and technical staffs are asking two fundamental questions. First: what low-cost strategies can be applied during training and competition to keep body temperature low and optimize performance? (Wegmann et al., 2012). Second: what body cooling interventions are truly effective between sessions to accelerate recovery? (Poppendieck et al., 2013).
A recent literature review has revealed that the best and most accessible practices to lower body temperature involve full-body immersion or direct contact with ice.
It was curious to see the strategies used by teams at the USA, Mexico, and Canada 2026 World Cup, but even more curious was the time these national teams had for what organizers called a cooling break. In just five minutes, support staff had to help their athletes hydrate and reduce their body temperature, while coaches gave tactical instructions, all using the most accessible, portable, and practical means available.
Given this scenario, it is worth analyzing whether these measures truly fulfilled their objective.
If the goal is to lower body temperature as quickly as possible, to improve performance in aerobic or mixed events, as has been shown, the best method is applying ice packs or wet towels at a temperature between 0–5 °C to the shoulders and the back of the neck. However, as shown in the infographic, at least 21 minutes are required to lower body temperature by 1 °C, making 5 minutes seem insufficient as a break to both lower temperature and hydrate.
Another aspect of cooling methods is improving post-exertion recovery or recovery between training sessions during congested schedules. In that regard, if we are looking for methods that are optimal in terms of time and resources, cold water immersion between 15 °C and 25 °C appears to be the most suitable, with a duration of at least 8 minutes.
It is important to emphasize that although setting up pools filled with ice may look impressive and technical/medical staff members may pride themselves on getting the pool to the lowest possible temperature, the scientific literature does not support dropping immersion below 12–15 °C (Machado et al., 2016). No extra benefits are gained; on the contrary, temperatures below this range cause pain, excessive peripheral vasoconstriction, and discomfort for the athlete.
If you are part of a technical or medical staff and are evaluating which cooling strategies to implement with the resources at your disposal, this content will help you make evidence-based decisions. Cold water immersion and the topical application of ice or frozen garments are the most efficient tools.
Bibliography
Wegmann et al. (2012) - Pre-Cooling and Sports Performance: A Meta-Analytical Review.
Poppendieck et al. (2013) - Cooling Interventions for Recovery: A Meta-Analysis.
ThermoHuman has had the support of the Funds of the European Union and the Community of Madrid through the Operational Programme on Youth Employment. Likewise, ThermoHuman within the framework of the Export Initiation Program of ICEX NEXT, had the support of ICEX and the co-financing of the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF).
Thermohuman has received funding from the Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology (CDTI), in participation with the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), for the R+D activities involved in creating a new tool, based on thermography, for the prediction and prevention of rheumatoid arthritis. See project detail.
