Cumulative pre-cooling methods do not enhance cycling performance in tropical climate

χ2 = 31.18; df = 5; p<0.001), MEN-VEST (Friedman χ2 = 26.28; df = 5; p<0.001) and NO-VEST (Friedman χ2 = 32.33; df = 5; p<0.001). The pairwise comparisons of RPE scores revealed a continuous increase from T5 to T25 followed by a decrease from T25 to T30 in all conditions (data not represented graphically). No inter-condition differences were found for T5 (Friedman χ2 = 1.63; df = 2; p = 0.44), T10 (Friedman χ2 = 1.50; df = 2; p = 0.47), T15 (Friedman χ2 = 3.52; df = 2; p = 0.17), T20 (Friedman χ2 = 0.64; df = 2; p = 0.73), T25 (Fried- man χ2 = 0.90; df = 2; p = 0.64) or T30 (Friedman χ2 = 1.20; df = 2; p = 0.55). For the cycling performance (Table 3), a Friedman ANOVA indicated no between-condi- tion differences of RPE at the end of the performance (Friedman χ2 = 1.68; df = 2; p = 0.43) (Table 2). Thermal sensation and thermal comfort A Friedman ANOVA indicated significant differences between TS values from T0 to T30 for ICE-VEST (Friedman χ2 = 23.88; df = 6; p<0.001), MEN-VEST (Friedman χ2 = 14.73; df = 6; p = 0.02) and NO-VEST (Friedman χ2 = 17.45; df = 6; p<0.01) during the warm-up (Table 3). The pairwise comparisons of TS scores revealed a continuous increase from T0 to T25 fol- lowed by a decrease from T25 to T30 in all conditions (data not represented graphically). No inter-condition differences were found for T0 (Friedman χ2 = 4.77; df = 2; p = 0.09), T5 (Fried- man χ2 = 1.40; df = 2; p = 0.50), T10 (Friedman χ2 = 0.88; df = 2; p = 0.65), T15 (Friedman χ2 = 3.50; df = 2; p = 0.17), T20 (Friedman χ2 = 2.00; df = 2; p = 0.37), T25 (Friedman

χ2 = 0.88; df = 2; p = 0.65) or T30 (Friedman χ2 = 1.08; df = 2; p = 0.58). For the cycling performance (Table 3), a Friedman ANOVA indicated no significant differ- ences between Condition neither before (Friedman χ2 = 3.13; df = 2; p = 0.21) nor at the end of the performance (Friedman χ2 = 2.60; df = 2; p = 0.27). The pairwise comparisons within condition revealed a significant increase of TS’measures from T0 to T20 in NO-VEST (T = 0.00, Z = 2.02, p<0.05), but no significant differences for either ICE-VEST (T = 3.50, Z = 1.78, p = 0.08) or MEN-VEST (T = 1.00, Z = 1.75, p = 0.08) (data not represented graphically). During the warm-up, no significant differences were found for the TC values from T0 to T30 whether for ICE-VEST (Friedman χ2 = 2.11; df = 6; p = 0.91), MEN-VEST (Friedman χ2 = 2.11; df = 6; p = 0.91) and NO-VEST (Friedman χ2 = 9.86; df = 6; p = 0.13) (see Table 3). No inter-condition differences were found for T0 (Friedman χ2 = 0.67; df = 2; p = 0.72), T5 (Friedman χ2 = 1.40; df = 2; p = 0.50), T10 (Friedman χ2 = 0.50; df = 2; p = 0.78), T15 (Fried- man χ2 = 0.67; df = 2; p = 0.72), T20 (Friedman χ2 = 1.33; df = 2; p = 0.51), T25 (Friedman χ2 = 0.35; df = 2; p = 0.84) or T30 (Friedman χ2 = 0.50; df = 2; p = 0.78). Table 3. Medians and interquartile ranges (IQR) for the thermal sensation (TS) and the thermal comfort (TC) during the warm-up and the cycling performance according the conditions. NO-VEST ICE-VEST MEN-VEST TS (warm-up) (Median, IQR) 4.00 (4.00–5.00) 4.00 (4.00–5.00) 4.00 (4.00–5.00) TS (performance) (Median, IQR)

6.00 (4.00–6.00) 4.50 (4.00–6.00) 6.00 (4.00–6.00) TC (warm-up) (Median, IQR) 3.00 (2.00–4.00) 3.00 (2.00–3.00) 2.00 (2.00–3.00) TC (performance) (Median, IQR) 4.00 (1.75–4.00) 2.50 (1.00–3.25) 3.00 (1.25–4.00) NO-VEST: without vest, ICE-VEST: cooling water vest and MEN-VEST: cooling menthol vest. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0291951.t003 PLOS ONE Tropical cycling performance and cumulative pre-cooling PLOS ONE | https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0291951 October 12, 2023 8 / 15