Floris C Wardenaar (video) | College of Health Solutions

This study focuses on how athletes can prepare for exercise in high temperatures by following a short term heat acclimation program as well as how athletes can cool their bodies in the same climate. Normally adaptation needs to be performed in a hot environment, or a specialized environmental chamber, targeting a rise of core temperature above 38.5°C (101.3°F). But as many athletes train in more moderate environments this proposal aims in Phase 1 to assess multiple methods to define the fastest way to increase core temperature (sauna, hot tub, high intensity exercise in a thermoneutral environment, high intensity exercise in a hot room). At the same time, there is a large number of cooling strategies available, ranging from highly perfected cool vests to using icy towels and drinking cold slurries.

It is known that athletes can optimize training and performance through keeping their baseline core temperature low and increasing their core temperature increment range. Therefore this study aims during Phase 2 to evaluate the efficacy of the most frequently used cooling strategies in reducing core temperature to baseline temperature after interventions leading to a high core temperature during Phase 1. The results will help to educate athletes, coaches and training staff what is the most effective interventions to quickly increase core temperature pre-exercise and reduce core temperature post-exercise.

Last Updated February 2020.