Squash in Los Angeles: Heat Strain and Performance Considerations at the 2028 Olympic Games.

Background: The Los Angeles 2028 Olympics will mark the debut of squash, a high-intensity sport characterized by repeated efforts, posing potential thermoregulatory challenges. The demanding nature of squash results in substantial metabolic heat production, with consequential heat strain exacerbated by the indoor environment of squash courts, where low to moderate evaporative potential limits effective cooling. Players often experience increased body-heat storage and thermal strain, with muscle cramps (an early warning sign of more severe heat-related illnesses) commonly observed during tournaments.

The Effects of Heat Therapy During Immobilization and Rehabilitation on Muscle Atrophy and Strength Loss at Return to Sports in Healthy Humans.

Background: Animal research suggests that repeated heat exposures may stimulate skeletal muscle protein synthesis and downregulate protein degradation.

Hypothesis: Repeated heat exposures during ankle immobilization and rehabilitation would preserve human muscle strength and mass.

Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.

Cryotherapy for treating soft tissue injuries in sport medicine: a critical review.

Sports medicine physicians and physiotherapists commonly use cryotherapy (eg, ice application) postinjury to decrease tissue temperature with the objective of reducing pain, limiting secondary injury and inflammation, and supporting healing. However, besides the analgesic effect of cryotherapy, a literature search revealed no evidence from human studies that cryotherapy limits secondary injury or has positive effects on tissue regeneration. Thus, our current understanding of the potential mechanisms and applications of cryotherapy largely relies on the results from animal studies.

Precooling via immersion in CO-enriched water at 25°C decreased core body temperature but did not improve 10-km cycling time trial in the heat.

This study compared the effects of precooling via whole-body immersion in 25°C CO-enriched water (COWI), 25°C unenriched water (WI) or no cooling (CON) on 10-km cycling time trial (TT) performance. After 30 min of precooling (COWI, CON, WI) in a randomized, crossover manner, 11 male cyclists/triathletes completed 30-min submaximal cycling (65%VO), followed by 10-km TT in the heat (35°C, 65% relative humidity). Average power output and performance time during TT were similar between conditions ( = 0.

Hematological Adaptations Following a Training Camp in Hot and/or Hypoxic Conditions in Elite Rugby Union Players.

Purpose: To investigate the effects of a training camp with heat and/or hypoxia sessions on hematological and thermoregulatory adaptations.

Methods: Fifty-six elite male rugby players completed a 2-week training camp with 5 endurance and 5 repeated-sprint sessions, rugby practice, and resistance training. Players were separated into 4 groups: CAMP trained in temperate conditions at sea level, HEAT performed the endurance sessions in the heat, ALTI slept and performed the repeated sprints at altitude, and H + A was a combination of the heat and altitude groups.

Exercise responses to heart rate clamped cycling with graded blood flow restriction.

Objectives: To quantify the acute effects of graded blood flow restriction on the interaction between changes in mechanical output, muscle oxygenation trends and perceptual responses to heart rate clamped cycling.

Design: Repeated measures.

Methods: Twenty-five adults (21 men) performed six, 6-min cycling bouts (24 min of recovery) at a clamped heart rate corresponding to their first ventilatory threshold at 0 % (unrestricted), 15 %, 30 %, 45 %, 60 % and 75 % of arterial occlusion pressure with the cuffs inflated bilaterally from the fourth to the sixth minute.

Effects of Medications on Heat Loss Capacity in Chronic Disease Patients: Health Implications Amidst Global Warming.

Pharmacological agents used to treat or manage diseases can modify the level of heat strain experienced by chronically ill and elderly patients via different mechanistic pathways. Human thermoregulation is a crucial homeostatic process that maintains body temperature within a narrow range during heat stress through dry (i.e.

Effect of ice slurry ingestion on thermoregulatory responses during fixed-intensity cycling in humid and dry heat.

Purpose: This study examined the thermoregulatory response and ergogenic effects of ice slurry (ICE) ingestion in hot environments with high and low relative humidity (RH).

Methods: Eight males completed four trials in a crossover manner in dry (DRY: 34.7 ± 0.

Thermoregulatory responses during road races in hot-humid conditions at the 2019 Athletics World Championships.

The purpose of this study was to characterize thermoregulatory and performance responses of elite road-race athletes, while competing in hot, humid, night-time conditions during the 2019 IAAF World Athletic Championships. Male and female athletes, competing in the 20 km racewalk ( = 20 males, 24 females), 50 km racewalk ( = 19 males, 8 females), and marathon ( = 15 males, 22 females) participated. Exposed mean skin (T) and continuous core body (T) temperature were recorded with infrared thermography and ingestible telemetry pill, respectively.

Skeletal muscle oxidative adaptations following localized heat therapy.

Repeated heat treatment has been shown to induce oxidative adaptations in cell cultures and rodents, but similar work within human models is scarce. This study investigated the effects of 6 weeks of localized heat therapy on near-infrared spectroscopy-(NIRS) derived indices of muscle oxidative and microvascular function. Twelve physically active participants (8 males and 4 females, age: 34.

The effect of cold water immersion on the recovery of physical performance revisited: A systematic review with meta-analysis.

This review evaluated the effect of CWI on the temporal recovery profile of physical performance, accounting for environmental conditions and prior exercise modality. Sixty-eight studies met the inclusion criteria. Standardised mean differences were calculated for parameters assessed at <1, 1-6, 24, 48, 72 and ≥96 h post-immersion.

Running demands and activity profile of men's rugby sevens: a tournament scenario.

This study profiled the changes in running performances and collisions within a Rugby sevens tournament. Sixteen male players were equipped with global positioning system units while competing at the 2015 and 2016 Asia Rugby Sevens series held in Colombo and Hong Kong, respectively. Both tournaments consisted of 4 matches each, and were played over 2 days (i.

Cold for centuries: a brief history of cryotherapies to improve health, injury and post-exercise recovery.

For centuries, cold temperatures have been used by humans for therapeutic, health and sporting recovery purposes. This application of cold for therapeutic purposes is regularly referred to as cryotherapy. Cryotherapies including ice, cold-water and cold air have been popularised by an ability to remove heat, reduce core and tissue temperatures, and alter blood flow in humans.

Association between thermal responses, medical events, performance, heat acclimation and health status in male and female elite athletes during the 2019 Doha World Athletics Championships.

Purpose: To determine associations between thermal responses, medical events, performance, heat acclimation and health status during a World Athletics Championships in hot-humid conditions.

Methods: From 305 marathon and race-walk starters, 83 completed a preparticipation questionnaire on health and acclimation. Core (T; ingestible pill) and skin (T; thermal camera) temperatures were measured in-competition in 56 and 107 athletes, respectively.

Effect of heat pre-conditioning on recovery following exercise-induced muscle damage.

This study investigated the influence of heat pre-conditioning on the recovery of muscle torque, microvascular function, movement economy and stride mechanics following exercise-induced muscle damage (EIMD). Twenty male participants were equally assigned to a control (CON) and an experimental group (HEAT), and performed a 30-min downhill run (DHR) to elicit EIMD. HEAT group received three consecutive days of heat exposure (45.

Effectiveness of On-Court Resistive Warm-Ups on Change of Direction Speed and Smash Velocity during a Simulated Badminton Match Play in Well-Trained Players.

In badminton, power production can be enhanced through the fundamental practice of a dynamic warm-up with resistance conditioning activity to induce a post-activation performance enhancement (PAPE) effect. The use of heavy resistance exercise in the form of heavy weights to induce PAPE during competition is not logistically practical in the badminton arena. Thus, there is a need to investigate the use of easily available alternative preconditioning stimuli to induce a similar potentiating effect in badminton-specific performance.

Adaptations to Post-exercise Cold Water Immersion: Friend, Foe, or Futile?

In the last decade, cold water immersion (CWI) has emerged as one of the most popular post-exercise recovery strategies utilized amongst athletes during training and competition. Following earlier research on the effects of CWI on the recovery of exercise performance and associated mechanisms, the recent focus has been on how CWI might influence adaptations to exercise. This line of enquiry stems from classical work demonstrating improved endurance and mitochondrial development in rodents exposed to repeated cold exposures.

Changes in myocardial myosin heavy chain isoform composition with exercise and post-exercise cold-water immersion.

This study investigated the changes in myocardial myosin heavy chain (MHC) isoforms, MHC-α and MHC-β composition in young healthy rodents following endurance training, with and without post-exercise cold-water immersion (CWI). Male rats were either trained on a treadmill for 10 weeks with (CWI) or without (Ex) regular CWI after each running session, or left sedentary (CON). Left ventricular mRNA of MHC-α, MHC-β, thyroid receptor α1 (TR-α1) and β (TR-β) were analyzed using rt-PCR and semiquantitative PCR analysis.

Hydration and cooling in elite athletes: relationship with performance, body mass loss and body temperatures during the Doha 2019 IAAF World Athletics Championships.

Purpose: To characterise hydration, cooling, body mass loss, and core (T) and skin (T) temperatures during World Athletics Championships in hot-humid conditions.

Methods: Marathon and race-walk (20 km and 50 km) athletes (n=83, 36 women) completed a pre-race questionnaire. Pre-race and post-race body weight (n=74), T (n=56) and T (n=49; thermography) were measured.

Six weeks of localized heat therapy does not affect muscle mass, strength and contractile properties in healthy active humans.

Purpose: Animal and human studies have shown that repeated heating may induce skeletal muscle adaptations, increasing muscle strength. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of 6 weeks of localized heating on skeletal muscle strength, volume and contractile properties in healthy humans.

Methods: Fifteen active participants (8 males/7 females, 35 ± 6 years, 70 ± 14 kg, 173 ± 7 cm, average training of 87 min per week) were subjected to 6 weeks of single-leg heat therapy.