The effectiveness of heat preparation and alleviation strategies for cognitive performance: A systematic review

Donnan, Kate J., Williams, Emily L. and Bargh, Melissa (2023) The effectiveness of heat preparation and alleviation strategies for cognitive performance: A systematic review. Temperature . ISSN 2332-8959

Full content URL: https://doi.org/10.1080/23328940.2022.2157645

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The effectiveness of heat preparation and alleviation strategies for cognitive performance: A systematic review
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Abstract

A range of occupational and performance contexts (e.g., military personnel operations, emergency services, sport) require the critical maintenance of cognitive performance in environmentally challenging environments. Several reviews exist which evaluate the effectiveness of heat preparation strategies to facilitate physical performance. To date, no review has explored the usefulness of heat preparation strategies for cognitive performance. Therefore, this systematic review aimed to evaluate a range of interventions for the maintenance of cognitive performance, during or following active or
passive heat exposure. Studies to be included were assessed by two authors reviewing title, abstract, and full-text. Forty articles were identified which met the inclusion criteria. Interventions were categorised into chronic (i.e., acclimation/acclimatisation) and acute strategies (i.e., hydration, cooling, supplementation, psychological). The results indicate that medium-term consecutive heat acclimation may mitigate some cognitive deficits under heat stress, although heat acclimation effectiveness could be influenced by age. Further, pre-cooling appears the most effective cooling method for maintaining cognitive performance under heat stress, although results were somewhat ambiguous. The hydration literature showed that the most effective hydration strategies were those which individualised electrolyte fortified fluid volumes to match for sweat loss. Limited research exploring psychological interventions indicates that motivational self-talk could be facilitative for maintaining cognitive skills following exercise in hot conditions. These findings can be used to help inform strategies for maintaining critical cognitive and decision-making skills in hot environments.

Keywords:Acclimation, Cooling, Heat Stress, Hydration, Hyperthermia, Self-talk, Supplementation
Subjects:C Biological Sciences > C800 Psychology
B Subjects allied to Medicine > B120 Physiology
Divisions:College of Social Science > School of Sport and Exercise Science
ID Code:52847
Deposited On:17 Jan 2023 12:34

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