Elite Athletes Are Learning How to Manage Extreme Heat

Before this year’s Summer Olympics, a group of elite athletes raised the alarm about what effects extreme heat could have on the competition — and the potential danger to competitors. It’s not the only time that conditions have prompted a big change to a sporting event: consider the 2022 World Cup, which began in November due to temperatures in host nation Qatar. As global temperatures rise, it’s more and more of a concern. Earlier this month, the headline for an article at The Athletic asked a bold question: “A World Cup in America in the middle of summer? Have they seen the weather?”

Whether you’re a casual jogger or a world-class tennis player, odds are good that you’re contending with heat more and more. Writing at NPR, Pien Huang explored the concept of heat training, something used by Olympic athletes, soldiers and people whose job involves being outdoors in the summer. “We can develop and add an adaptive response to help us succeed in the heat,” Dr. Francois O’Connor of Uniformed Services University told NPR. “But it’s got to be controlled.”

That type of training, NPR explained, involves measured exposure to high temperatures, in order to become used to those conditions. It’s important for anyone engaged in this kind of training to be careful not to overexert onself. Dr. O’Connor does recommend crossing one threshold, though, telling NPR, “You’ve got to build up, but at a minimum, you’ve got to get out there and sweat.”

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Heat training isn’t the only way elite athletes and their trainers are dealing with higher temperatures. At Scientific American, Ariel Wittenberg recounted the growing popularity of heat decks at the Olympics. The Tokyo Olympics were first time they were used, and they’re also being utilized in Paris.

Heat decks are dedicated locations where athletes experiencing heatstroke can immerse themselves in ice baths to bring their body temperature down — something that can save lives and prevent wider health issues. It’s another step forward in keeping athletes healthy as they compete at the highest levels of their chosen sport.