With summer coming up in the northern hemisphere, it’s going to be hot. As such, the Professional Fitness Athletes’ Association (PFAA) published a whitepaper to help athletes navigate their training and preparation for competitions that may be impacted by high temperatures.
The whitepaper, published on the PFAA’s website, was written by Chloe Farnham and Jeremy Reardon MD with input by Gommaar D’Hust from WOD Science.
The authors focus on heat training and the various methods that can be used to adapt oneself to heat and humidity. “The physical changes caused by heat training help the body work more efficiently in hot conditions, minimizing thermal strain and maximizing performance,” reads the article. “These adaptations also reduce the risk of exertional heat illness, which poses a significant safety threat to athletes.”
According to a 2014 sports medicine conference, an optimal heat training regimen consists of heat exposure over the course of two weeks. Athletes who did heat training retained their adaptations for 2-4 weeks with one study suggesting that a 2.5% decline per day was found once an athlete stopped heat training.
The whitepaper continues by discussing safety considerations when heat training or competing during high temperatures. From recognizing signs of heat illness to hydration and ways to cool off, the whitepaper outlines the key points to keep in mind.
Brent Fikowski hosted an roundtable with the authors of the whitepaper and has been uploaded to YouTube. You can watch that below.
In conjunction with the whitepaper and YouTube video, Brent Fikowski wrote an article targeted to how athletes can apply some of the learnings of the whitepaper. The article is primarily a bullet point list of actionable steps and things to consider when athletes will be exposed to high temperatures.
