Factors Associated With Performance Decrements in Elite Athletes During Exercise Under Hot and Humid Ambient...

Area of Science:

• Exercise Physiology
• Environmental Extremes
• Human Performance

Background:

• Exercise performance declines in hot and humid environments.
• Identifying factors predicting performance decrements in elite athletes is crucial.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify factors associated with performance decrements in elite athletes during exercise in hot and humid conditions.
• To understand individual variability in performance loss under heat stress.

Main Methods:

• 106 Dutch elite athletes completed incremental exercise tests in temperate and hot-humid conditions.
• Performance loss was quantified by the difference in time to exhaustion.
• Multivariable linear regression analyzed associations between performance loss and various athlete/exercise parameters.

Main Results:

• Average performance decrement was 26%, with time to exhaustion decreasing from 60 to 44 minutes.
• Higher dehydration rates and thermal discomfort correlated with greater performance loss.
• Lower performance decrements were linked to higher BMI, female sex, increased core temperature, and higher heart rate in hot conditions.

Conclusions:

• Exercise responses, athlete characteristics, thermoregulation, and perception are key factors in heat-induced performance decrements.
• The multivariable model explained 58% of the variance in performance decrements.
• These findings offer insights into individual susceptibility to heat during athletic performance.