Is Core Temperature Influenced by Triathlon Wetsuit Models When Swimming in Warm Water?: 3440 Board #128 June 1 8:00 AM - 9:30 AM

Swim-related fatalities have raised safety concerns in the sport of triathlon. As a majority of deaths occur during the swim, there are strict guidelines related to water temperatures and the use of wetsuits in triathlon events governed by USA Triathlon (USAT). Due to the varying water temperatures, athletes can select from a wide variety of wetsuit models. Two main categories of wetsuit models are sleeveless and full sleeve. The use of a wetsuit in warm water may increase body heat storage and may result in an increase in core temperature. However, there are no data investigating the influence of triathlon wetsuit design on core temperature when swimming in warm water. PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to examine the influence of wetsuit design on core temperature responses during swimming in warm water (25.5 °C). METHODS: Three experienced triathletes (mean ± standard deviation (SD), age 48 ± 4.93 years, height 1.73 ± 0.09 m, weight 71.62 ± 8.54 kg) participated in the study. At least 8 hours prior to attending the test session, participants swallowed an ingestible core temperature pill. Before beginning the test session, core temperature (Tc) data were transferred to the monitor and sample rate was set to 0.1 Hz (1 sample every 10 s). Testing consisted of a self-directed warm-up followed by a 500-m swim in an indoor pool (set to either 25-m or 50-m in length) for each condition: no wetsuit (NW), sleeveless wetsuit (SL), and full sleeve wetsuit (FS). Participants swam at a self-selected pace at a somewhat hard intensity (Borg Rating of Perceived Exertion = 13). Participants were required to rest until core temperature was within 0.5 °C of baseline before beginning the next condition. Core temperature data were transferred to the monitor after each swim. Average Tc during the first and last minute of each swim was computed for analysis. A 2 (time) x 3 (wetsuit condition) repeated measures ANOVA was used (α;=0.05). RESULTS: Tc was not influenced by the interaction of time and wetsuit (p>0.05) and there was no main effect for time (p>0.05) nor wetsuit condition (p>0.05). Mean values for Tc between NW, SL, and FS were 37.82 ± 0.44 °C, 37.64 ± 0.68 °C, and 37.64 ± 0.42 °C, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: These pilot results indicate that wetsuit design does not significantly influence thermoregulatory responses.