Physiological and perceptual changes underly the decline in cognitive-motor performance during acute and repeated cold stress.

This study examined the impact of cold-induced stress on cognitive and motor performance. Thirteen males (19.7 ± 0.23 yr) trained on a computer-based visuomotor task once daily for six consecutive days. The task (19 min per trial; joystick-controlled falling blocks) included brief rest/training intervals. After the first three trials, participants were allocated to control (CON, n = 5) or cold stress (CS, n = 8). On days 4-6, CS completed a 60-min head-out cold-water immersion immediately before the task, producing a ~ 0.5°C drop in core temperature, whereas CON remained stable. Heart rate, ventilation, respiratory frequency (R f), inspiratory drive (I d), oxygen consumption, epinephrine, norepinephrine (NEP), cortisol, and subjective measures (thermal comfort, TC; temporal judgment, TJ) were recorded pre-, during, and end-of-trial. CON improved performance by 84%, whereas CS performance was attenuated;(p < 0.01). CON showed no significant physiological or subjective changes. In CS, performance correlated inversely with R f (r =  -0.56, p = 0.004), and regression indicated I d, NEP, Rf, TC, and TJ predicted performance;(p < 0.0001; R2 = 0.87). Thus, repeated pre-task cold exposure impaired performance, consistent with a complex interaction between physiological and subjective responses.