Aluminium salt-based antiperspirant coated prosthesis liners do not suppress local sweating during moderate intensity exercise in hot and temperate conditions.

OBJECTIVE

To determine whether coating prosthesis liners with a 5% aluminium zirconium tetrachlorohydrate antiperspirant solution (AZCH) reduces local sweating on the thigh.

DESIGN

Double-blinded counter-balanced crossover design

METHODS

Fourteen able-bodied participants (age: 28±5 y; body mass: 73.9±7.9kg, height: 1.73±0.09m; peak oxygen consumption [VO2peak]: 50.7±9.1 mlO2⋅kg-1⋅min-1) simultaneously wore a prosthesis liner on each leg, one treated with AZCH and one untreated, for four days prior to running at 50% of VO2peak for 60min in a temperate (23.7±0.7°C and 42.2±2.6% relative humidity) or hot (34.0±1.6°C and 40.8±6.1% relative humidity) environment. Rectal temperature (Tre) and whole-body sweat rates (WBSR) were measured to characterize thermal strain. Local sweat rate (LSR) was measured bilaterally underneath the liners, continuously, and heat-activated-sweat gland density (HASGD) was measured bilaterally every 15min.

RESULTS

In temperate condition, the mean change in Tre was 1.2±0.4°C and WBSR was 723±129g⋅h-1, whereas in the hot condition, change in Tre was 1.2±0.5°C and WBSR was 911±231g⋅h-1. In the temperate condition, AZCH treatment did not alter LSR (treated: 0.50±0.17 mg·cm-2min-1, untreated: 0.50±0.17 mg·cm-2min-1; P=0.87) or HASGD (treated: 54±14 glands·cm-2, untreated 55±14 glands·cm-2; P=0.38). In the hot condition, AZCH treatment paradoxically increased LSR (treated: 0.88±0.38 mg·cm-2min-1, untreated: 0.74±0.28 mg·cm-2min-1; P=0.04) but not HASGD (treated: 52±17 glands·cm-2, untreated: 48±19 glands·cm-2; P=0.77).

CONCLUSION

These results indicate coating prosthesis liners with 5% AZCH is ineffective at reducing local sweating.