@article {Tylerbjsports-2012-091739, author = {Christopher James Tyler and Caroline Sunderland and Stephen S Cheung}, title = {The effect of cooling prior to and during exercise on exercise performance and capacity in the heat: a meta-analysis}, elocation-id = {bjsports-2012-091739}, year = {2013}, doi = {10.1136/bjsports-2012-091739}, publisher = {British Association of Sport and Excercise Medicine}, abstract = {Exercise is impaired in hot, compared with moderate, conditions. The development of hyperthermia is strongly linked to the impairment and as a result various strategies have been investigated to combat this condition. This meta-analysis focused on the most popular strategy: cooling. Precooling has received the most attention but recently cooling applied during the bout of exercise has been investigated and both were reviewed. We conducted a literature search and retrieved 28 articles which investigated the effect of cooling administered either prior to (n=23) or during (n=5) an exercise test in hot (wet bulb globe temperature \>26{\textdegree}C) conditions. Mean and weighted effect size (Cohen{\textquoteright}s d) were calculated. Overall, precooling has a moderate (d=0.73) effect on subsequent performance but the magnitude of the effect is dependent on the nature of the test. Sprint performance is impaired (d=-0.26) but intermittent performance and prolonged exercise are both improved following cooling (d=0.47 and d=1.91, respectively). Cooling during exercise has a positive effect on performance and capacity (d=0.76). Improvements were observed in studies with and without cooling-induced physiological alterations, and the literature supports the suggestion of a dose{\textendash}response relationship among cooling, thermal strain and improvements in performance and capacity. In summary, precooling can improve subsequent intermittent and prolonged exercise performance and capacity in a hot environment but sprint performance is impaired. Cooling during exercise also has a positive effect on exercise performance and capacity in a hot environment.}, issn = {0306-3674}, URL = {https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2013/08/14/bjsports-2012-091739}, eprint = {https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2013/08/14/bjsports-2012-091739.full.pdf}, journal = {British Journal of Sports Medicine} }