New ice slushy bottle to the market for internal cooling of workers and athletes

Internal cooling methods (I.e., cold fluid or ice slushy ingestion) have been shown to be effective for lowering the rise in core body temperature and increasing physical work capacity in hot environmental conditions (for review, see Ross et al., 2013, Siegel & Laursen, 2012). Preliminary research in athletic populations has shown that ice slushy consumption during exercise can improve performance. Most recently, Stevens et al. (2013) used an Olympic distance triathlon model and showed that the ingestion of ice slurry (10g⋅kg body mass^-1) during a fluctuating 60-min cycle phase, led to enhanced performance during a subsequent 10-km running time trial in hot conditions. Furthermore, Burdon et al. (2013) found that ice slurry ingestion (260±38g every 15 min) during a 90-min cycling phase (62% VO₂max) enhanced performance during a subsequent 4 kJ⋅kg body mass^-1 cycling time trial in the heat lasting approximately 19 min. Interestingly, in the latter study, even the rinsing of ice slurry was found to enhance time trial performance compared with thermoneutral fluid ingestion. These findings suggest that even the presence of a cold sensation in the mouth, to alter the perception of temperature, may be beneficial.

Likely mechanisms for the beneficial effects of ice slurry ingestion

However, typical fluid-dispensing containers lack the ability to expel ice slushy from their spouts. A new insulated bottle to the market, called Floe Bottle, allows the user to consume ice slushy on the fly. Floe Bottle uses a double-layer of silicone for insulation, coupled with a wide spout diameter and distinctive sealing features to allow slushy to stay cool and flow freely from its spout.

Floe Bottle

Slider - nozzle

The bottle was used in last year’s Tour de France by team Euskaltel-Euskadi.

For more information on Floe Bottle, see http://www.floebottle.com

For direct enquiries, contact paullaursen1@gmail.com

Paul Laursen

Physiology Manager

High Performance Sport New Zealand

References

Burdon CA, Hoon MW, Johnson NA, Chapman, PG, O’Connor HT. The effect of ice slurry ingestion and mouthwash on thermoregulation and endurance performance in the heat. Int J Sports Nutri Exerc Metab. 2013;23:458-469.

Ross M, Abbiss C, Laursen P, Martin D, Burke L. Precooling methods and their effects on athletic performance : a systematic review and practical applications. Sports Med. 2013 Mar;43(3):207-25.

Siegel R, Laursen PB. Keeping your cool: possible mechanisms for enhanced exercise performance in the heat with internal cooling methods. Sports Med. 2012 Feb 1;42(2):89-98.

Stevens CJ, Dascombe B, Boyko A, Sculley D, Callister R. Ice slurry ingestion during cycling improves Olympic distance triathlon performance in the heat. J Sports Sci. 2013;31.12:1271-1279.