Trial reportPloS one2014
Physical and perceptual cooling with beverages to increase cycle performance in a tropical climate.
Trial report in PloS one, 2014. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 32 papers, 4 of them syntheses that pooled it.
What it found
Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.
The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
32 citing papers in PubMed, 4 syntheses or guidelines pooled it, 72 citations in OpenAlex.
- Effects of different menthol administration routes on endurance performance and physiological responses in the heat: a network meta-analysis.Frontiers in nutrition · 2026Pooled it
- Pooled it
- Performance effects of internal pre- and per-cooling across different exercise and environmental conditions: A systematic review.Frontiers in nutrition · 2022Pooled it
- Menthol can be safely applied to improve thermal perception during physical exercise: a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials.Scientific reports · 2020Pooled it
- Menthol Mouth Rinsing Maintains Relative Power Production during Three-Minute Maximal Cycling Performance in the Heat Compared to Cold Water and Placebo Rinsing.International journal of environmental research and public health · 2022Trial
- Ice slurry ingestion improves physical performance during high-intensity intermittent exercise in a hot environment.PloS one · 2022Trial
- Trial
- L-Menthol mouth rinse or ice slurry ingestion during the latter stages of exercise in the heat provide a novel stimulus to enhance performance despite elevation in mean body temperature.European journal of applied physiology · 2018Trial
- Heat Stress-Mediated Multi-Organ Injury: Pathophysiology and Treatment Strategies.Comprehensive Physiology · 2025Review
- The untapped potential of cold water therapy as part of a lifestyle intervention for promoting healthy aging.GeroScience · 2025Review
- The Effect of Menthol Mouth Rinsing and Fluid Temperature on Male Cycling Performance in Thermoneutral Conditions.Nutrients · 2024Article
- Central effects of mouth rinses on endurance and strength performance.European journal of applied physiology · 2024Review
- The effect of menthol rinsing before intermittent exercise on physiological, physical, and thermo-behavioral responses of male football referees in hot and humid environment.Frontiers in sports and active living · 2024Article
- The Physiological Requirements of and Nutritional Recommendations for Equestrian Riders.Nutrients · 2023Review
- Menthol mouth rinsing and performance in elite football referees in the heat: A study protocol for a randomized crossover trial.Contemporary clinical trials communications · 2023Article
- One hour of internal precooling with cold water/menthol enhances cycling performance in a heat/wet stress environment: A pilot study.Biology of sport · 2023Article
- Cumulative pre-cooling methods do not enhance cycling performance in tropical climate.PloS one · 2023Article
- Impact of a Cold Environment on the Performance of Professional Cyclists: A Pilot Study.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
- Temperate Air Breathing Increases Cycling Performance in Hot and Humid Climate Environment.Life (Basel, Switzerland) · 2021Article
- Can taste be ergogenic?European journal of nutrition · 2021Review
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeThis study compares the effects of neutral temperature, cold and ice-slush beverages, with and without 0.5% menthol on cycling performance, core temperature (Tco) and stress responses in a tropical climate (hot and humid conditions).
methodsTwelve trained male cyclists/triathletes completed six 20-km exercise trials against the clock in 30.7°C±0.8°C and 78%±0.03% relative humidity. Before and after warm-up, and before exercise and every 5 km during exercise, athletes drank 190 mL of either aromatized (i.e., with 0.5 mL of menthol (5 gr/L)) or a non-aromatized beverage (neutral temperature: 23°C±0.1°C, cold: 3°C±0.1°C, or ice-slush: -1°C±0.7°C). During the trials, heart rate (HR) was continuously monitored, whereas core temperature (Tco), thermal comfort (TC), thermal sensation (TS) and rate of perceived exertion (RPE) were measured before and after warm-up, every 5 km of exercise, and at the end of exercise and after recovery.
resultsBoth the beverage aroma (P<0.02) and beverage temperature (P<0.02) had significant and positive effects on performance, which was considerably better with ice-slush than with a neutral temperature beverage, whatever the aroma (P<0.002), and with menthol vs non-menthol (P<0.02). The best performances were obtained with ice-slush/menthol and cold/menthol, as opposed to neutral/menthol. No differences were noted in HR and Tco between trials.
conclusionCold water or ice-slush with menthol aroma seems to be the most effective beverage for endurance exercise in a tropical climate. Further studies are needed to explore its effects in field competition.
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What OpenQuestion holds
Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.