Abstract
Prolonged exposure to cold can impair manual performance, which in turn can affect work task performance. We investigated whether mild whole-body cold stress would affect isometric force control during submaximal hand grip and key pinch tasks. Twelve male participants performed isometric hand grip and key pinch tasks at 10% and 30% of maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) for 30 and 10 s respectively, in cold (8 °C) and control (25 °C) conditions. Finger temperature decreased significantly by 18.7 ± 2.1 °C and continuous low-intensity shivering in the upper trunk increased significantly in intensity and duration during cold exposure. Rectal temperature decreased similarly for the 8 °C and 25 °C exposures. Force variability (FCv) was <2% for the hand grip tasks, and <3% for the key pinch tasks. No significant changes in FCv or force accuracy were found between the ambient temperatures. In conclusion, isometric force control during hand grip and key pinch tasks was maintained when participants experienced mild whole-body cold stress compared with when they were thermally comfortable.
Highlights
Manual performance is crucial for both daily activities and for per forming work tasks
The purpose of the pre-test session was to inform the participants about the test procedure and to determine the force at isometric maximal voluntary contraction (MVC) for hand grip and key pinch tasks
The reported shivering sensation increased with time for most participants during the cold condition, but no shivering was reported during the control condition (Table 1)
Summary
Manual performance is crucial for both daily activities and for per forming work tasks. Cold exposure can cause decreases in manual and finger dexterity, starting below finger skin temperatures of 12–20 C (Ray et al, 2019). While the effect of cold stress on finger and manual dexterity have been investigated exten sively, there have been fewer studies on the effects of cold on isometric force control. The effects of temperature on maximal grip strength have been investigated more extensively, but these showed ambiguous re sults. Maximal grip strength can be important for some specific tasks, submaximal forces are more widely used, and—for example—are required for the effective use of hand tools and instruments. Submaximal force control might be more relevant for work performance. Only two studies have investigated the effects of whole-body cooling on submaximal isometric force control in the upper
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