Backgrounds/Objectives: The purpose of this study was to compare blood flow and exercise performance in high-temperature environments with Kinesio taping. Methods: Ten heathy men performed a Bruce treadmill test until volitional fatigue in a heated environment (35 °C, 50% relative humidity), with (KTC) and without Kinesio taping (UTC). Blood flow (BF), maximal oxygen uptake (VO₂max), heart rate (HR), and blood lactate (BL) were measured at baseline, after 30 min of acclimation, during treadmill exercise, and after 30 min of recovery. Results: Baseline and resting measurements of BF, VO₂max, HR, and BL were similar between conditions (p > 0.05). The results revealed no significant differences in any variables between conditions (p > 0.05), except for BF. BF was significantly higher in the KTC compared to the UTC during exercise (p < 0.05). VO₂, HR, and BL significantly increased during exercise, immediately post-exercise, 10 min post-exercise, and 30 min post-exercise compared to baseline in both KTC and UTC conditions (all p < 0.05). When Kinesio tape was applied, BF significantly increased during and after exercise. However, VO₂, HR, and BL did not differ between conditions. Conclusions: These results showed no evidence that Kinesio tape improves exercise performance or recovery in heat conditions.

OBJECTIVES This study examines the impact of blood flow restriction (BFR) resistance exercise on blood flow across varying environmental temperatures, aiming to understand the physiological responses, exercise function, and recovery process affected by temperature changes.METHODS Seven healthy males (age: 26.4±1.7 years, weight: 72.7±6.8 kg, height: 174.5±2.0 cm) participated in biceps brachii exercises with and without BFR under low (10°C/25% humidity), moderate (25°C/50% humidity), and high (40°C/50% humidity) environmental conditions. Each participant completed six sessions of exercise across these conditions to assess the recovery phase blood flow changes. Blood flow measurements were taken during the recovery phase for analysis.RESULTS Blood flow significantly increased in high-temperature conditions, independent of BFR application, showing notable differences compared to low-temperature conditions (p<.05).CONCLUSIONS Environmental temperature significantly affects blood flow changes during BFR resistance exercise, with increased blood flow in high temperatures indicating a physiological adaptation to thermal stress. This suggests the need to consider environmental temperatures in optimizing BFR exercise protocols.

OBJECTIVES This study aimed to examine the effects of evaporative cooling methods of ethanol or water sprays on Ratings of Perceived Exertion (RPE), Thermal Sensation (TS), Skin Temperature (ST), Tympanic Temperature (TT), and sweat loss during exercise in a hot and humid environment.METHODS Nine healthy men (24.1 ± 2.5 years, 70.3 ± 3.2 kg, 172.8 ± 2.5 cm) participated in three test conditions: Non-Spray (NS), Water Spray (WS), and Ethanol Spray (ES). All participants underwent 10 minutes of heat acclimation prior to each exercise session, then ran on a treadmill at 70% of their maximal aerobic capacity for 20 minutes in a chamber maintained at 29–31℃ and 75–85% relative humidity. Naked body weight and TT were measured before and after each trial. At 3 minutes after exercise onset, WS or ES was sprayed onto the skin in the corresponding conditions. Two minutes after spraying, ST was measured. This procedure was repeated four times during the exercise. Spray was applied evenly to the neck, chest, arms, and thighs using 3.0–3.5 mL per area, keeping a distance within 10 cm. RPE and TS were assessed before and after exercise in all conditions.RESULTS There were no significant differences in RPE, TS, and TT between conditions. Sweat rate and skin temperature were lower in the ES group compared to the other groups and showed significant differences between conditions and measuring time points (p < 0.05).CONCLUSIONS The results indicated that there were no significant differences in Ratings of Perceived Exertion, Thermal Sensation, and Tympanic Temperature between conditions. But ES induced a lower Skin Temperature and sweat loss over NS and WS. Although further studies are necessary, the results demonstrated a potential feasibility of ethanol spray for application.