Analysis of Changes in Thermoregulatory Adaptation of College Athletes Following Cold Exposure Training

Abstract

Introduction: The object of this study included features of thermal regulation and adaptation processes of 18-year-old college students playing sports before and after cold exposure training (morning hot/cold contrast showers) and their attitude to such training. Objective: To conduct a comparative analysis of changes in thermoregulation and adaptation of college students in response to cold exposure training. Methods: We conducted a questionnaire-based survey and testing using the Kestner–Marshak capillary cold reaction test and the “Adaptolog–Expert” system for assessing the functional status of the organism. Results of the survey conducted before and after the experiment allowed us to form a sample of the experimental group. At the end of the experiment, the repeated questionnaire-based survey of the level of cold exposure training showed a significant prevalence of affirmative answers, while the number of negative and unsure answers showed a pronounced decrease. The average group values of the cold reaction test equaled the upper limit of the norm indicating insufficient cold exposure training. By the end of the experiment, the average time of appearance and disappearance of hyperemia among the college students decreased significantly, thus proving the benefit of contrast showers to improve human thermoregulation. The results of applying the “Adaptolog–Expert” system showed statistically significant differences with the initial indicators of adaptation with multidirectional dynamics, indicating normalization of the studied parameters of adaptation. Conclusions: The study of thermoregulatory and adaptation parameters of college athletes confirmed the positive impact of the proposed technique on the students’ attitude to cold exposure training and normalized their adaptation to cold.