RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Association between thermal responses, medical events, performance, heat acclimation and health status in male and female elite athletes during the 2019 Doha World Athletics Championships
JF British Journal of Sports Medicine
JO Br J Sports Med
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd and British Association of Sport and Exercise Medicine
SP 439
OP 445
DO 10.1136/bjsports-2021-104569
VO 56
IS 8
A1 Racinais, Sebastien
A1 Havenith, George
A1 Aylwin, Polly
A1 Ihsan, Mohammed
A1 Taylor, Lee
A1 Adami, Paolo Emilio
A1 Adamuz, Maria-Carmen
A1 Alhammoud, Marine
A1 Alonso, Juan Manuel
A1 Bouscaren, Nicolas
A1 Buitrago, Sebastian
A1 Cardinale, Marco
A1 van Dyk, Nicol
A1 Esh, Chris J
A1 Gomez-Ezeiza, Josu
A1 Garrandes, Frederic
A1 Holtzhausen, Louis
A1 Labidi, Mariem
A1 Lange, Gűnter
A1 Lloyd, Alexander
A1 Moussay, Sebastien
A1 Mtibaa, Khouloud
A1 Townsend, Nathan
A1 Wilson, Mathew G
A1 Bermon, Stephane
YR 2022
UL http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/56/8/439.abstract
AB Purpose To determine associations between thermal responses, medical events, performance, heat acclimation and health status during a World Athletics Championships in hot-humid conditions.Methods From 305 marathon and race-walk starters, 83 completed a preparticipation questionnaire on health and acclimation. Core (Tcore; ingestible pill) and skin (Tskin; thermal camera) temperatures were measured in-competition in 56 and 107 athletes, respectively. 70 in-race medical events were analysed retrospectively. Performance (% personal best) and did not finish (DNF) were extracted from official results.Results Peak Tcore during competition reached 39.6°C±0.6°C (maximum 41.1°C). Tskin decreased from 32.2°C±1.3°C to 31.0°C±1.4°C during the races (p<0.001). Tcore was not related to DNF (25% of starters) or medical events (p≥0.150), whereas Tskin, Tskin rate of decrease and Tcore-to-Tskin gradient were (p≤0.029). A third of the athletes reported symptoms in the 10 days preceding the event, mainly insomnia, diarrhoea and stomach pain, with diarrhoea (9% of athletes) increasing the risk of in-race medical events (71% vs 17%, p<0.001). Athletes (63%) who performed 5–30 days heat acclimation before the competition: ranked better (18±13 vs 28±13, p=0.009), displayed a lower peak Tcore (39.4°C±0.4°C vs 39.8°C±0.7°C, p=0.044) and larger in-race decrease in Tskin (−1.4°C±1.0°C vs −0.9°C±1.2°C, p=0.060), than non-acclimated athletes. Although not significant, they also showed lower DNF (19% vs 30%, p=0.273) and medical events (19% vs 32%, p=0.179).Conclusion Tskin, Tskin rate of decrease and Tcore-to-Tskin gradient were important indicators of heat tolerance. While heat-acclimated athletes ranked better, recent diarrhoea represented a significant risk factor for DNF and in-race medical events.Data are available on reasonable request.