Sports Performance Research Institute New Zealand (SPRINZ), School of Sport and Recreation, Auckland University of Technology, Auckland, New Zealand.
High Performance Sport New Zealand, PO Box 302 563, North Harbour, Auckland, 0751, New Zealand.
Sports Med. 2017 Aug;47(8):1467-1476. doi: 10.1007/s40279-016-0668-9.
As major sporting events are often held in hot environments, increased interest in ways of optimally heat acclimating athletes to maximise performance has emerged. Heat acclimation involves repeated exercise sessions in hot conditions that induce physiological and thermoregulatory adaptations that attenuate heat-induced performance impairments. Current evidence-based guidelines for heat acclimation are clear, but the application of these recommendations is not always aligned with the time commitments and training priorities of elite athletes. Alternative forms of heat acclimation investigated include hot water immersion and sauna bathing, yet uncertainty remains around the efficacy of these methods for reducing heat-induced performance impairments, as well as how this form of heat stress may add to an athlete's overall training load. An understanding of how to optimally prescribe and periodise heat acclimation based on the performance determinants of a given event is limited, as is knowledge of how heat acclimation may affect the quality of concurrent training sessions. Finally, differences in individual athlete responses to heat acclimation need to be considered. This article addresses alternative methods of heat acclimation and heat exposure, explores gaps in literature around understanding the real world application of heat acclimation for athletes, and highlights specific athlete considerations for practitioners.
由于大型体育赛事通常在炎热的环境中举行，因此人们越来越关注如何让运动员在最佳状态下适应高温环境，以最大限度地提高表现。热适应包括在炎热条件下进行反复的运动训练，以诱导生理和体温调节适应，减轻热引起的表现受损。目前针对热适应的循证指南是明确的，但这些建议的应用并不总是与精英运动员的时间承诺和训练重点一致。研究中还探讨了其他形式的热适应，包括热水浸泡和桑拿浴，但对于这些方法减轻热引起的表现受损的效果，以及这种热应激形式如何增加运动员整体训练负荷，仍然存在不确定性。基于特定赛事的表现决定因素，如何优化热适应的规定和分期的知识有限，以及热适应如何影响同期训练课程的质量的知识也有限。最后，需要考虑个体运动员对热适应的反应差异。本文讨论了热适应和热暴露的替代方法，探讨了在理解热适应在运动员中的实际应用方面的文献差距，并强调了针对从业者的特定运动员考虑因素。
