Utilising internal cooling strategies for the improvement of cognitive function during exercise in hot and humid conditions

Prolonged exercise in the heat leads to decrements in exercise performance and cognition. Substantial evidence exists regarding optimising cooling strategies for exercise performance; however, less is known about the effect of cooling methods on cognitive function during exercise in the heat. We demonstrated that crushed ice ingestion improves cognitive function and mood state during exercise in the heat. We also found that the perception of cooling, via menthol swilling, was beneficial for exercise performance but not cognitive function. The mix of ice-ingestion with menthol swilling could offer improvements in sporting performance, enhancing both cognitive and exercise capacity.