Laboratory « Adaptations au Climat Tropical, Exercice et Santé » (EA 3596 ACTES), French West Indies University , Pointe-à-Pitre , France.
Laboratory « Handicap, Activité, Vieillissement, Autonomie, Environnement » (EA 6310 HAVAE), University of Limoges , Limoges , France.
Int J Hyperthermia. 2019;36(1):753-760. doi: 10.1080/02656736.2019.1635718.
Physical performance in a tropical environment, combining high heat and humidity, is a difficult physiological challenge that requires specific preparation. The elevated humidity of a tropical climate impairs the thermoregulatory mechanisms by limiting the rate of sweat evaporation. Hence, a proper management of whole-body temperature is required to complete an ultra-endurance event in such an environment. In these long-duration events, which can last from 8 to 20 h, held in hot and humid settings, performance is tightly linked to the ability in maintaining an optimal hydration status. Indeed, the rate of withdrawal in these longer races was associated with lower water intake, and the majority of finishers exhibited alterations in electrolyte balance (e.g., sodium). Hence, this work reviews the effects on performance of high heat and humidity in two representative ultra-endurance sports, ultramarathons and long-distance triathlons, and several countermeasures to counteract the impact of these harsh environmental stresses and maintain a high level of performance, such as hydration, cooling strategies and heat acclimation.
在高温高湿的热带环境中进行身体活动是一项极具挑战性的生理任务，需要进行专门的准备。热带气候的高湿度通过限制汗液蒸发率来损害体温调节机制。因此，在这种环境中完成超长耐力活动需要对全身温度进行适当的管理。在这些长时间的活动中，持续时间从 8 小时到 20 小时不等，在炎热和潮湿的环境中进行，表现与维持最佳水合状态的能力密切相关。事实上，在这些较长的比赛中，退出比赛的原因与水摄入不足有关，而且大多数完赛者的电解质平衡（例如钠）都发生了变化。因此，这项工作回顾了高温高湿对两个代表性超长耐力运动（超长马拉松和长距离铁人三项）的性能的影响，并提出了几种对抗这些恶劣环境压力的对策，以保持高水平的性能，如补水、冷却策略和热适应。
