Efficacy of water spray for evaporative cooling in athletes with spinal cord injury

Spinal cord injuries disrupt the body's ability to regulate temperature, especially in athletes. This study looked at whether spraying water on the skin could help athletes with spinal cord injuries stay cool during exercise. The study compared the effect of water spray on core temperature during exercise in athletes with tetraplegia, paraplegia, and able-bodied individuals. The results showed that water spray helped to keep core temperature down in athletes with tetraplegia, suggesting it can be a useful cooling technique.

• 1
  Water spray significantly attenuated the rise in core temperature in athletes with tetraplegia during exercise.
• 2
  The change in core temperature was significantly higher in the tetraplegia group compared to paraplegia and able-bodied groups under control conditions.
• 3
  Water spray did not significantly change the change in core temperature in athletes with paraplegia or able-bodied individuals.