Pre-cooling by hands and feet water immersion reduces heat strain while wearing protective clothing

Pre-cooling (i.e., removal of heat from the body immediately prior to exercise) is a popular strategy for improving exercise performance in hot conditions. Whole body immersion in water is the procedure most commonly used to pre-cool in sports activities. However, the supply of a large volume of water and ice in all occupational settings is not always possible, or practical. In the present study, we examined the effectiveness of hands and feet water immersion and cooling vest as practical pre-cooling method on heat strain while wearing protective clothing.