Muscle cooling modulates tissue oxidative and biochemical responses but not energy metabolism during exercise.

This study investigated whether muscle cooling and its associated effects on skeletal muscle oxidative responses, blood gases, and hormonal concentrations influenced energy metabolism during cycling. Twelve healthy participants (Males: seven; Females: five) performed two steady-state exercise sessions at 70% of ventilatory threshold on a cycle ergometer. Participants completed one session with pre-exercise leg cooling until muscle temperature (T Heart rate, stroke volume, and cardiac output all increased across time but were not different between conditions. V̇O The present study demonstrated that despite muscle cooling and the associated oxidative and biochemical changes, energy metabolism remained unaltered during cycling. Whether lower local and systemic oxygen availability is counteracted via a cold-induced activation of lipid metabolism pathways needs to be further investigated.