As major sporting events are often held in hot environments, increased interest in ways of optimally heat acclimating athletes to maximise performance has emerged. Heat acclimation involves repeated exercise sessions in hot conditions that induce physiological and thermoregulatory adaptations that attenuate heat-induced performance impairments. Current evidence-based guidelines for heat acclimation are clear, but the application of these recommendations is not always aligned with the time commitments and training priorities of elite athletes. Alternative forms of heat acclimation investigated include hot water immersion and sauna bathing, yet uncertainty remains around the efficacy of these methods for reducing heat-induced performance impairments, as well as how this form of heat stress may add to an athlete's overall training load. An understanding of how to optimally prescribe and periodise heat acclimation based on the performance determinants of a given event is limited, as is knowledge of how heat acclimation may affect the quality of concurrent training sessions. Finally, differences in individual athlete responses to heat acclimation need to be considered. This article addresses alternative methods of heat acclimation and heat exposure, explores gaps in literature around understanding the real world application of heat acclimation for athletes, and highlights specific athlete considerations for practitioners.

While PC+ICE had a stronger effect on mean power output compared with CON than ICE did, the ICE strategy enhanced late-stage time-trial performance the most. Findings suggest that thermal comfort may be as important as thermal state for maximizing performance in the heat.

Purpose: To examine the retention and re-acclimation responses during a periodized heat acclimation (HA) protocol in elite sailors preparing for the 2013 World Championships in Muscat, Oman (∼27–30°C, 40–60% RH). Methods: Two elite male Laser class sailors completed 5 consecutive days of HA (60 min per day in 35°C, 60% RH). Heat response tests (HRT) were performed on day 1 and 5 of HA, then 1 (decay 1, D1) and 2 (D2) weeks following HA. Participants were then re-acclimated (RA) for 2 days, within the next week, before a final HRT ∼72 h post-RA. Rectal temperature, plasma volume, heart rate, sweat rate, as well as thermal discomfort and rating of perceived exertion were measured during each HRT. Results: Rectal temperature decreased with HA (0.46 ± 0.05°C), while individual responses following D1, D2 and RA varied. Heart rate (14 ± 7 bpm), thermal discomfort (0.6 ± 0.1 AU) and rating of perceived exertion (1.8 ± 0.6 AU) decreased across HA, and adaptations were retained by D2. Plasma volume steadily increased over the decay period (D2 = 8.0 ± 1.3%) and after RA (15.5 ± 1.1%) compared with baseline. RA resulted in further thermoregulatory improvements in each Athlete, although individual adjustments varied. Conclusion: Heat strain was reduced in elite Laser sailors following HA and most thermoregulatory adaptations were retained for 2 weeks afterwards. RA may ‘top up’ adaptations after 2 weeks of HA decay.

Three days of [Formula: see text] supplementation resulted in small increases in rectal temperature during low- to moderate-intensity exercise, but this did not appear to influence 4-km cycling time-trial performance in hot climates.

Heated resistance exercise enhanced power and increased plasma hGH concentration in female and males power athletes. Further research is required to assess the ergogenic potential of resistance exercise in the heat.