A Special Issue on Heat, Health, and Performance in Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport

Abstract

Performance. Our goal was to publish the final collection of articles by the beginning of the delayed Tokyo Olympic and Paralympic Games in July/August 2021, which are forecasted to be the hottest Games ever. We invited authors across all domains to contribute novel research articles examining the different ways in which heat impacts our capacity to work and play safely across the human lifespan. We also welcomed submissions that addressed new and impactful ways in which the negative effects of heat on health and/or performance can be mitigated or managed in a range of different settings (from the local to international stage), and how health, performance and the viability of some sports and occupations may be affected by future climate change. Studies that help us better understand the underlying reasons for why some people are more susceptible to the heat than others, in a variety of different ways, were also encouraged.The first submission was received within 3 weeks of this initial call. In total, 45 articles were handled by the editorial team, of which 18 were ultimately accepted for publicationa 40% acceptance rate.

Can heat exposure improve exercise performance?

“…In this month's issue of JSAMS, we first highlight two papers that continue to demonstrate the strength of articles published in our journal on the topic covered by our recent special issue on Heat, Health and Performance [1]. Extreme heat as an environmental stressor can lead to significant decrements in the ability to optimally perform in both occupational and sports settings.…”