Ice Slurry Ingestion Lowers Thermoregulatory Strain in Wheelchair Tennis Players During Repeated Sprint Intervals in the Heat

Purpose : To examine the efficacy of per-cooling via ice slurry ingestion (ICE) in wheelchair tennis players exercising in the heat. Method : Eight wheelchair tennis players undertook sprints (4 sets of 10 × 5 s over 40 min) in a hot environment (∼32 °C), interspersed by 3 boluses of 2.67 g·kg (6.8 g·kg total) ICE or drinking temperate water (control condition). Athletes performed an on-court test of repeated sprint ability (20 × 20 m) in temperate conditions immediately before and 20 minutes after the heat exposure, and time to complete each sprint as well as intermediate times were recorded. Gastrointestinal and weighted mean skin and forehead temperatures were collected throughout the heat exposure, as were thermal sensation, heart rate, and blood lactate concentration. Sweat rate was calculated from body mass changes and fluid/ice intakes. Results : Compared with the control condition, ICE resulted in a significantly lower gastrointestinal temperature (95% CI, 0.11–0.17 °C; P