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Psychological skills training improves exercise performance in the heat
Martin J Barwood1, Richard C Thelwell, Michael J Tipton
1University of Portsmouth, Department of Sport and Exercise Science, Institute of Biomedical and Biomolecular Sciences, Cambridge Road, Portsmouth, UK. martin.barwood@port.ac.uk
Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise
|January 19, 2008
Summary
Psychological skills training (PST) improved running performance in hot conditions by helping participants maintain exercise intensity. This intervention increased running distance by 8% in the heat.
Area of Science:
- Exercise Physiology
- Sports Psychology
- Environmental Physiology
Background:
- Heat exposure accelerates fatigue during exercise.
- Psychological skills training (PST) can modulate physiological and psychological responses to environmental stressors.
- This study investigated PST's effect on endurance performance in heat.
Purpose of the Study:
- To test if a 4-day PST package enhances running performance in hot conditions.
- To determine if PST mitigates the urge to reduce exercise intensity during heat exposure.
- To explore physiological markers associated with PST in the heat.
Main Methods:
- Eighteen participants completed three 90-minute runs in 30°C heat.
- Participants were randomized into a control group (CG) or a psychological skills group (PSG) after the second run.
- The PSG received PST designed to improve heat tolerance and maintain work intensity.
Main Results:
- The PSG ran 8% farther in the third run compared to their previous runs.
- No significant differences were observed in core temperature, skin temperature, sweat production, or blood markers (IL-6, PRL) between groups.
- PST appeared to suppress the participants' inclination to decrease exercise intensity.
Conclusions:
- Psychological skills training can enhance running performance in hot environments.
- PST's primary benefit in heat may be maintaining exercise intensity rather than altering physiological strain.
- The findings have implications for designing future heat-related exercise studies.
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