The Effects of Indoor versus Outdoor Thermal Biofeedback Training in Cold-Weather Sports

Abstract

This field study examined the effects of indoor versus outdoor thermal biofeedback training on digital skin temperature for outdoor sports, and also tested the accuracy of estimating one's skin temperature in an outdoor environment. A sample of 25 university student volunteers (14 males and 11 females) were randomly distributed across three groups. Indoor subjects practiced exclusively indoors and outdoor subjects practiced exclusively outdoors, while control subjects did not receive any training. All pre-and posttests for all groups were conducted outdoors in an unhealed tent. Subjects were trained twice a week for 4 weeks, with twice-a-day respective indoor or outdoor home practice on nontraining days. Results indicated the post-peroid change scores of the outdoor trained group to be superior to indoor trained subjects and controls when all groups were asked to perform outdoors. Indoor subjects were only able to maintain their temperature outdoors, whereas control subjects continued to lose temperature as they did during the pretest. Interestingly, there was no significant overall temperature difference between groups, and all subjects overestimated their temperatures regardless of training. Learning to control extremity temperatures in cold environments may depend on environmental context.