Variations of central and skin temperatures during 24 h in elite wheelchair rugby players

Abstract

Spinal cord-injured athletes are of an inability to vasodilate and sweat below the injury, increasing the risk for marked core body temperature rises (Nicotra et al., 2006). The tetraplegics athletes have an important thermoregulatory impairment and are great risk of heat illness at a high intensity exercise or in hot environment (Price and Campbell, 2003). The magnitude of this impairment is proportional to the level of the lesion and requires adaptations adapted to each individual response (Griggs et al., 2015). Thus, the objective of this study was to assess body temperature induced by wheelchair rugby sessions and to compare the skin (Tsk°) and the central (Tc°) temperature measured during a one training day. Seven elite wheelchair rugby players (33 ± 7 years) with high-level lesions (tetraplegia) and all members in French team (7.1 ± 2 years training duration, 1.3 ± 0.8 points according to international classification) participated of this study. Central (Tc°) and skin (Tsk°) temperatures were continuous recorded during 24 h with an electronic pill (e-Celsius®) and Thermocron® ibutton® (DS1922L) devices placed on the shoulder. At the morning (Mo), before (Bef) and after (Aft) the training session and during the night (Ni), Tc° and Tsk° were noted. Tsk° was significant lower than Tc° (P < 0.01). Training session increase significantly Tc° and Tsk° (+3.5% for Tc° and 4.8% for Tsk°, respectively between Aft and Bef, P < 0.01). Ni Tc° (35.8 ± 0.2 °C) was significant lower than all measures (P < 0.001) and the variation between extreme diurnal and night values (max–min) were 2.4 ± 0.6 °C. No difference was founded for Tsk° between Mo, Bef and Ni and for Tc° between Mo and Bef. The Tsk° values are lower than those obtained with the pills, Tc°. Tc° increase of 1.3 ± 0.5 °C after wheelchair rugby is lower than that obtained by Price and Campbell (2.1 ± 0.5 °C) during 60 min at 60% VO2pic on wheelchair ergometer in hot environment chamber (31.5 °C, 43RH). However, skin measures are sensitive to exercise-induced imbalance and could be used by the staff to manage the thermoregulation troubles. It could be interesting to provide individual solutions to limit the effects of the large variation in Tc° measured during 24 h.