Menthol in neck cooling improves subjective comfort but does not affect vascular or temperature regulation

Abstract

Background: This study aimed to compare the effects of traditional neck cooling and menthol-enhanced neck cooling on physiological and perceptual responses in healthy males. Methods: Thirteen participants (mean age: 28.2±5.3 years) underwent two experimental conditions (control and menthol) in a randomized crossover design. Each session involved a 60-minute cooling protocol with measurements of tympanic temperature, cutaneous blood flux, cutaneous vascular conductance (CVC), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and perception of frostiness taken at baseline and at 10-minute intervals.Results: Tympanic temperature decreased significantly over time in both conditions (p