Rethinking the traditional heat acclimation strategy

Here, at the University of Brighton, we have an ongoing research project that examines and evaluates alternative heat acclimation approaches to the more traditional methods through a series of individual research studies. Previous Olympic and Paralympic Games have been held in hot, humid conditions and future Games will also experience thermally challenging environments; all that challenge athletes’ ability to thermoregulate and can diminish exercise performance.

Heat acclimation strategies that use low exercise intensities, of a prolonged, continuous duration and for 10-14 days have traditionally been adopted to prepare athletes for exercise in the heat. Our series of research studies  are reconsidering the traditional ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach, questioning what the primary stimuli for heat acclimation is and applying these findings to different populations and other environmental stressors. Importantly, we are considering how best to integrate heat acclimation alongside existing training in order that sporting performance can be maximised.