Looking ahead of 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games: How Does Humid Heat Affect Endurance Performance? Insight into physiological mechanism and heat-related illness prevention strategies

Lei, Tze‐Huan; Wang, Faming

doi:10.1016/j.jtherbio.2021.102975

Cited by 16 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 63 publications

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“…Additionally, an improvement in the maximal and mean power output was observed in all the 12 athletes (data not shown). Although previous studies have shown that the minimum duration for partial adaptation was 8 consecutive days of exposure when the environment was hot and humid (Lei and Wang, 2021 ), we reported that 6 days of short-term humid heat acclimation might enhance both performance and thermoregulatory function. Throughout the training, no athlete or researchers tested positive for COVID-19.…”

Section: Short-term Heat Acclimation Training and Measures Against In...contrasting

confidence: 59%

Case Report: Countermeasures Against Heat and Coronavirus for Japanese Athletes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympic Games

Nakamura

Naito²,

Saito³

et al. 2022

Front. Sports Act. Living

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The Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympic Games were held in the hottest environment in the history of the games. Additionally, the worldwide coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic necessitated daily polymerase chain reaction (PCR) testing during the games, wearing a mask became mandatory publicly, and it was an unheard and unique Olympic with no spectators. Heat acclimation, hydration, and body cooling are essential for safe and high-performance activities in hot environments. In 2015, the Japan Institute of Sports Sciences launched the “Heat Countermeasure Project” to conduct experiments and practical research on heat countermeasures and investigate issues related to heat countermeasures in each athletic event. The results obtained were proposed to various Japan national sports teams, and support for heat countermeasures for the Tokyo 2020 games was promoted in consultation with national federations. Furthermore, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, infectious disease countermeasures for the Tokyo 2020 Games during support were a must. Moreover, athletes, coaches, and team staff could not avoid implementing heat countermeasures while adopting measures against infectious diseases. This study aimed to clarify the issues faced with heat countermeasures and report on heat acclimation training and cooling support efforts, considering measures against infectious diseases.

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Section: Short-term Heat Acclimation Training and Measures Against In...contrasting

confidence: 59%

Case Report: Countermeasures Against Heat and Coronavirus for Japanese Athletes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympic Games

Nakamura

Naito²,

Saito³

et al. 2022

Front. Sports Act. Living

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…However, it is worth noting that cooling the face with room temperature water (22 ℃) had little effect on athletic performance, whereas cooling the face with cold water (1.2 ℃) greatly improved the peak swimming velocity [ 55 ]. However, it remains unknown whether face cooling with water can provide ergogenic benefits to athletes in humid heat [ 58 ]. It is possible to conclude that face cooling improves athletic performance and perceptual responses for athletes in dry heat.…”

Section: Face Cooling and Exercise Performancementioning

confidence: 99%

Head, Face and Neck Cooling as Per-cooling (Cooling During Exercise) Modalities to Improve Exercise Performance in the Heat: A Narrative Review and Practical Applications

et al. 2022

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It is well known that uncompensable heat stress greatly impairs endurance and team sport-related performance because an increase in the core temperature directly induces a greater magnitude of the central fatigue in the heat than in thermal neutral environments. Numerous studies have been conducted in an attempt to discover reliable cooling strategies for improving endurance performance and repeated sprint ability while exercising in the heat. Whole-body pre-cooling has been shown to improve endurance performance in both dry and humid heat. Despite this, the reduction in thermal perceptions associated with pre-cooling gradually narrows during intense exercise. Hence, effective per-cooling strategies to improve athletic performance in the heat are required. Unfortunately, due to practical issues, adopting pre-cooling approaches as a per-cooling (cooling during exercise) modality to improve athletic performance is impractical. Thus, we sought to examine the impact of head, neck and face cooling on athletic performance in heat. According to current evidence, cooling the head, neck and face reduced local skin temperature in the areas where cooling was applied, resulting in improved local perceptual sensations. In the heat, neck cooling during exercise improves athletic performance in both endurance and team sports athletes. Furthermore, from a practical standpoint, neck cooling is preferred over head, face and combined head/face and neck cooling for both endurance and team sport athletes in the heat. Nonetheless, for all athletes who have access to water, face cooling is a recommended cooling strategy. There is a lack of research on the systematic selection of per-cooling modalities to improve athletic performance based on environmental conditions and the nature of sports. In addition, powerful but portable head, neck and face cooling systems are urgently needed to assist athletes in improving their performance in hot conditions.

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“…The timing of application of heat mitigation strategies, as well as the type of heat mitigation strategy, is vital for athletes' competition preparation in hot conditions such as the recent 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games (Gibson et al, 2020 ). Lei and Wang ( 2021 ) highlighted that the combination of high humidity and ambient temperature of the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympic Game would undoubtfully result in greater physiological strains and, thereby, downregulate the endurance performance of athletes. Although many research studies have highlighted that the thermoregulatory strain is greater in HH, no review articles have directly compared HD and HH and associated thermoregulatory performance, and such a lack of consensuses in this area will lead to an increase in the risk of HRI and suboptimal preparation.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Although many research studies have highlighted that the thermoregulatory strain is greater in HH, no review articles have directly compared HD and HH and associated thermoregulatory performance, and such a lack of consensuses in this area will lead to an increase in the risk of HRI and suboptimal preparation. Therefore, Lei and Wang ( 2021 ) highlighted the potential interventional strategies to reduce thermal strain in HH including pre-cooling via cold-water immersion with proper hydration and some potential per-cooling modalities such as cold-water/ice-slushy ingestion. Following this, Lei and Wang ( 2021 ) recommended that these strategies be trialled, as the research in HD and HH is far from complete.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Therefore, Lei and Wang ( 2021 ) highlighted the potential interventional strategies to reduce thermal strain in HH including pre-cooling via cold-water immersion with proper hydration and some potential per-cooling modalities such as cold-water/ice-slushy ingestion. Following this, Lei and Wang ( 2021 ) recommended that these strategies be trialled, as the research in HD and HH is far from complete. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the type, timing, and justification of per-cooling strategies currently employed by cyclists-triathletes during training and/or competitions in HD and HH.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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The Type of Per-Cooling Strategies Currently Employed by Competitive and Professional Cyclists-Triathletes During Training and Competition Are Condition (Dry vs. Humid) Dependant

Bayne¹,

Racinais²,

Mileva³

et al. 2022

Front. Sports Act. Living

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PurposeTo investigate cooling strategies employed by athletes (cyclists-triathletes) during training and competition in hot and dry (HD) and hot and humid (HH) conditions.MethodsThirty-five athletes completed an online questionnaire on the type, timing, and justification of cooling strategies employed during past training and/or competitions in HD and HH conditions. In addition, 3 athletes also completed a one-to-one follow-up interview.ResultsComparisons between strategies employed in all conditions were based on N = 14 (40%). Cold-water pouring was the most employed (N = 4; 21%) strategy during training and/or competing in hot conditions. The timing of the strategies employed was based on pitstops only (N = 7; 50%). The justification for strategies employed was based on trial and error (N = 9, 42.85%: N = 10, 47.61%). All athletes rated strategies employed as 1 (“not effective for minimising performance impairments and heat-related illnesses”). Comparisons between HD and HH were based on N = 21 (60%), who employed different strategies based on condition. Cold-water ingestion was the most employed (N = 9, 43%) strategy in HD, whereas a combination of cold-water ingestion and pouring was the most employed (N = 9, 43%) strategy in HH. The timing of strategies employed in the HD split was pre-planned by distance but was modified based on how athletes felt during (N = 8, 38%), and pre-planned by distance and pit stops (N = 8, 38%). The timing of strategies employed in HH was pre-planned based on distance and how athletes felt during (N = 9, 42%). About 57% (N = 12) of the 60% (N = 21) perceived effectiveness in HD and HH as 3 (“Sometimes effective and sometimes not effective”), whereas 43% (N = 9) of the 60% (N = 21) perceived effectiveness in HD and HH as 4 (“Effective for minimising performance impairments”).ConclusionCold-water ingestion is the preferred strategy by athletes in HD compared to a combination of cold-water ingestion and pouring in HH conditions. All strategies were pre-planned and trialled based on distance and how athletes felt during training and/or competition. These strategies were perceived as effective for minimising performance impairments, but not heat-related illnesses. Future studies should evaluate the effectiveness of these cooling strategies on performance and thermoregulatory responses in HD and HH conditions.

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Looking ahead of 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympic Games: How Does Humid Heat Affect Endurance Performance? Insight into physiological mechanism and heat-related illness prevention strategies

Cited by 16 publications

References 63 publications

Case Report: Countermeasures Against Heat and Coronavirus for Japanese Athletes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympic Games

Case Report: Countermeasures Against Heat and Coronavirus for Japanese Athletes at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and Paralympic Games

Head, Face and Neck Cooling as Per-cooling (Cooling During Exercise) Modalities to Improve Exercise Performance in the Heat: A Narrative Review and Practical Applications

The Type of Per-Cooling Strategies Currently Employed by Competitive and Professional Cyclists-Triathletes During Training and Competition Are Condition (Dry vs. Humid) Dependant

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