Effects of controlled ambient temperature exposure on health responses in adolescent wrestlers: a pilot study

Ambient temperature is recognized as a key factor influencing performance and health in athletes, particularly in combat sports such as wrestling. Adolescent or cadet wrestlers could be particularly susceptible to environmental stress, as they are still undergoing physiological development and may have a reduced ability to cope with thermal stresses. The purpose of the present pilot study was to provide an initial evaluation of the effect of temperature on health and inflammatory variables in a limited group of adolescent wrestlers, in order to generate baseline data for future studies with larger sample sizes. Twenty-one adolescent male wrestlers from Iranian clubs participated as subjects in this study. The participants were divided into three approximately similar groups (high temperature (HT), normal temperature (NT), and low temperature (LT) groups, n = 7 per group) based on their body composition and anthropometric profiles, using purposive, non-random assignment. Following the establishment of the desired temperature (10, 18, and 30 degrees C), participants completed a Wrestling Technique-Based Circuit Exercise protocol. Blood and urine samples were collected at three time points: before exercise (pre-test), immediately after exercise (post-test), and 30 min after exercise (recovery). A two-way mixed-design analysis of variance test (ANOVA) was conducted to assess the main effect of group (temperature) and time (measurement trials), as well as their interaction effect on the dependent variable at p < 0.05. The results revealed a significant group × time interaction for IL‑6 (P < 0.001, ŋ2p = 0.731) and TNF‑α (P = 0.026, ŋ2p = 0.22). Also, the changes in TNF‑α between the groups approached the threshold of significance, but this difference was not statistically significant. Post‑hoc comparisons with Bonferroni adjustment showed that in the HT group, IL‑6 and TNF‑α levels increased significantly from pre‑test to post‑test (P < 0.001 and P = 0.016, respectively) and remained elevated at recovery for IL‑6 (P < 0.001). Moreover, IL‑6 and TNF‑α levels were significantly higher in the HT group compared to both NT and LT groups at post-test (P < 0.05). Also, the results showed that although the changes in AST and MDA over time approached the threshold of significance, these differences did not reach a statistically significant level. No significant changes were observed over time or between groups for the other variables. Understanding the interaction between environmental temperature and physiological responses in adolescent wrestlers may provide valuable insights into the mechanisms underlying exercise-induced stress and potential health implications. This knowledge may support the development of evidence-based strategies to optimize training conditions, minimize adverse physiological effects, and enhance athlete safety and performance in youth combat sports.