Heat Stress in Wheelchair Sports

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The aim of the study is to study the thermoregulatory responses under real life conditions, such as during wheelchair rugby and basketball matches. A further goal is to develop and validate a standardised field-based protocol, which induces the same thermoregulatory response as during a wheelchair rugby and basketball match. This knowledge allows to investigate strategies to reduce heat stress and to enhance exercise performance (e.g. pre-cooling) in the future, based on standardised conditions.

Detailed Description
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A spinal cord injury leads to several physiological changes and complications, which might influence exercise performance (Perret and Abel, 2016). One major problem is the limited thermoregulation, especially in subjects suffering from a tetraplegia (Griggs et al., 2015; Price et al., 2006). There are only few studies, which investigated the thermoregulatory response during real life conditions in wheelchair athletes such as during a wheelchair rugby match (Griggs et al., 2017). However, to implement strategies to reduce heat stress (e.g. precooling methods) or to determine the influence of heat stress on exercise performance and to determine the effects of specific interventions the following two issues seem to be a prerequisite: First of all, we need to understand, which thermoregulatory response is induced under real life conditions, e.g. by a wheelchair rugby or basketball match. Second, if we want to study the effects of potential interventions, a standardised and reliable study protocol has to be available, which closely mimics match conditions and induces a similar amount of heat stress. Thus, the aim of the study is to measure thermoregulatory and physical performance outcomes during a real life wheelchair rugby and basketball match. A further goal is to develop and validate a standardised field-based protocol, which induces a similar thermoregulatory response as during a wheelchair rugby or basketball match. These knowledge builds the basis for future thermoregulatory studies based on a reliable and standardised field-based testing protocol.

Official Title
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Heat Stress During Wheelchair Rugby and Basketball

Conditions
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Heat Stress, Body Temperature Changes

Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: Informed consent as documented by signature healthy, male or female wheelchair rugby (with tetraplegia) or basketball player (with paraplegia) of national or international level regularly taking part in competitions/games age between 18 and 60 years Exclusion Criteria: asthma blood disorders actual injury, which impairs performance or other impossibility to exercise to exhaustion cardiovascular disease gastrointestinal disease, disorder or former surgery concerning the gastrointestinal tract not able to swallow a capsule less than 40kg of body mass MRI during the period of use of the e-Celsius® device

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 18 Years
Maximum Age: 60 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| wheelchair rugby players<br>well-trained spinal cord injured wheelchair rugby players | |
| wheelchair basketball players<br>well-trained spinal cord injured wheelchair basketball players | |

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in body core temperature | recording body core temperature with an electronic capsule from the beginning to the end of a rugby or basketball game | from 0 minutes to 32 minutes (cohort 1) or 48 minutes (cohort 2) | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Change in heart rate | heart rate from the beginning to the end of a rugby or basketball game | from 0 minutes to 32 minutes (cohort 1) or 48 minutes (cohort 2) | 
| covered distance | covered distance (meters) during a rugby or basketball game | 32 minutes (cohort 1) or 48 minutes (cohort 2) | 
| Change in body weight | difference in weight (kg) from before to after the game due to sweating and convection | 32 minutes (cohort 1) or 48 minutes (cohort 2) |