The Effects of a Pre-cooling Ice Slurry on Repeat Sprint Ability in Recreationally Active Males

The ability to produce consistently high average sprint time over a series of sprints separated by less than or equal to 60 seconds of recovery is vital for sports. Muscle and core temperature is a major contributor to fatigue. Precooling has shown to be and effective means of lower the body's core temperature. Purpose: The aim of this study was to look at the effect of an ice slurry beverage in a precooling protocol on peak sprint time, mean sprint time, RPE and fatigue index during a repeated sprint protocol (5 x 40m shuttle sprints with 30s of passive recovery). Fifteen healthy recreationally active °college aged 18- 24 males. A precooling protocol of 7.5g/kg of bodyweight either water or ice slurry administered over a 30 minute period in ten minute intervals. Following the precooling protocol subjects completed a 5x40m sprint protocol with 30s of passive recovery. RPE, core temperature and sprint time were all recorded after every sprint. There was no significant difference in sprint times (p= 0.750), RPE (p = 0.588) and core temperature (p = 0.908). There was a significant difference in pre- cooling core temperature between conditions (p = 0.02). Precooling protocol consisting of an ice slurry approximately 1°C was effective at lowering core temperature vs control condition. This did not yield any significant difference in sprint time, RPE or core temperature during the sprint protocol. Additional research is needed to exhibit the benefits of precooling during repeated sprints.