Welcome to another edition of Pelotan Performance Insights! In this installment, we're exploring whether sunscreen can help regulate core body temperature during intense workouts and racing.

The Science Behind Sunscreen and Body Temperature

Sunscreen is primarily designed to protect your skin from the harmful effects of UV radiation, including sunburn, skin aging, and skin cancer. However, there’s growing interest in understanding whether it can also influence core body temperature during physical activity.

How UV Exposure Affects Body Temperature

1. Heat Absorption: UV radiation from the sun can increase skin temperature. When your skin absorbs this heat, it can contribute to a rise in overall body temperature.
2. Sweat Mechanism: The body’s primary cooling mechanism is sweating. Excessive UV exposure can impair sweat glands' efficiency, leading to decreased cooling and potentially increasing core body temperature.

Does Sunscreen Help?

While sunscreen’s primary role is UV protection, it can have indirect effects on body temperature:

1. Reduced Heat Absorption: By blocking UV rays, sunscreen can reduce the amount of heat absorbed by the skin. This can help in maintaining a lower skin temperature, which may contribute to a more stable core body temperature during intense workouts.
2. Sweat Preservation: High-performance sunscreen like Pelotan is designed to be highly sweat-resistant, whilst still allowing your sweat glands to function effectively. This ensures your body’s natural cooling process isn’t hindered, helping to regulate core temperature.

Supporting Data

1. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 2020: A study found that athletes using sunscreen experienced lower skin temperatures compared to those without protection during prolonged outdoor activities. The study suggests that effective UV management can reduce heat absorption, contributing to better temperature regulation.
2. Sports Medicine Research, 2021: Research indicated that sunscreen can help maintain efficient sweat production and evaporation, critical for thermoregulation during endurance sports.

The Importance of Core Temperature for Athletes

In recent years, monitoring and managing core body temperature has become increasingly important for athletes. Elevated core temperatures can lead to heat stress, reduced performance, and even serious health risks such as heat stroke. Understanding and mitigating factors that influence core temperature is vital for peak athletic performance and safety.

1. Performance Impact: High core temperatures can impair cognitive and physical performance, reducing reaction times and endurance. Athletes strive to maintain optimal core temperatures to sustain high levels of performance throughout training and competitions.
2. Health and Safety: Managing core temperature is crucial for preventing heat-related illnesses. Athletes are employing various strategies, including proper hydration, wearing appropriate clothing, and using sunscreens like Pelotan that support the body’s cooling mechanisms.

Pelotan’s Advantage Over Traditional Sunscreens

Pelotan’s high-performance sunscreen is formulated with endurance athletes in mind, offering several benefits to core body temperature when used at high intensity:

• Lightweight and Breathable: Unlike thick sun creams that can block pores and hinder sweat evaporation, Pelotan’s lightweight formula allows your skin to breathe, supporting the body’s natural cooling mechanisms. Often heavy and greasy, traditional suncream can create a barrier that traps heat and prevents sweat from evaporating efficiently. This can lead to overheating and discomfort during intense physical activity
• Sweat-Resistant Formula: Ensures continuous protection and effective sweat evaporation, crucial for maintaining core temperature.
• Balanced, Broad Spectrum Protection: Provides robust protection against UVA and UVB rays, reducing skin heat absorption.

We hope to conduct some primary research into this area in the next 12 months, working with our elite athlete partners and some of the new tech companies at the forefront of core body temperature and other physiological measurements. This research aims to further validate the role of high-performance sunscreen in temperature regulation and enhance our understanding of how to optimise athletic performance in varying environmental conditions.

While Pelotan’s primary function is to protect your skin from UV damage, its role in potentially aiding temperature regulation is an added benefit for endurance athletes. Make Pelotan your go-to sunscreen to stay protected, cool, and perform at your peak, regardless of the conditions.

References:

"Sunscreen and Thermoregulation: The Impact on Athletes" Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 2020.

"The Role of Sunscreen in Maintaining Core Temperature During Exercise" Sports Medicine Research, 2021.