Search

Endurance athletes commonly incorporate repeated exposure to either heat or hypoxia into their training program, due to its ability to improve physiological and performance outcomes. However, there is limited understanding of whether the combined effects of both stimuli together can provide even further benefits above either environment alone. Accordingly, this thesis aimed to assess the effectiveness of incorporating heat and hypoxia across a training block to enhance physiological adaptations and performance in endurance athletes. Study one assessed the temperate performance and physiological changes following a three-week overload period of combined heat and ‘Live High, Train Low’ (LHTL) hypoxia. While the combined stimuli induced physiological adaptations, it did not transfer to improved 3-km time-trial running performance with the only performance improvements observed following independent heat training. Study two further investigated the physiological outcomes of combined heat and LHTL, and assessed multiple thermal, cardiovascular, cellular, and perceptual adaptations during submaximal exercise in the heat. Combined heat and LHTL impaired many heat related adaptations relative to the heat only group, indicating that the addition of LHTL provided no greater physiological benefit during exercise in a hot environment. Following from the findings of study one and two, study three and four assessed the performance and physiological outcomes when heat was applied concurrently with IHT. Specifically, study three evaluated changes in 20-km cycling time-trial performance in both temperate and the participant’s assigned environmental condition following three weeks of training in either concurrent heat and IHT, independent heat or a temperate environment. Performance was improved in all groups to a similar extent regardless of the type of environment. In the fourth and final study, the thermal, cardiovascular, and selected cellular responses following three weeks of t

Endurance athletes commonly incorporate repeated exposure to either heat or hypoxia into their training program, due to its ability to improve physiological and performance outcomes. However, there is limited understanding of whether the combined effects of both stimuli together can provide even further benefits above either environment alone. Accordingly, this thesis aimed to assess the effectiveness of incorporating heat and hypoxia across a training block to enhance physiological adaptations and performance in endurance athletes. Study one assessed the temperate performance and physiological changes following a three-week overload period of combined heat and ‘Live High, Train Low’ (LHTL) hypoxia. While the combined stimuli induced physiological adaptations, it did not transfer to improved 3-km time-trial running performance with the only performance improvements observed following independent heat training. Study two further investigated the physiological outcomes of combined heat and LHTL, and assessed multiple thermal, cardiovascular, cellular, and perceptual adaptations during submaximal exercise in the heat. Combined heat and LHTL impaired many heat related adaptations relative to the heat only group, indicating that the addition of LHTL provided no greater physiological benefit during exercise in a hot environment. Following from the findings of study one and two, study three and four assessed the performance and physiological outcomes when heat was applied concurrently with IHT. Specifically, study three evaluated changes in 20-km cycling time-trial performance in both temperate and the participant’s assigned environmental condition following three weeks of training in either concurrent heat and IHT, independent heat or a temperate environment. Performance was improved in all groups to a similar extent regardless of the type of environment. In the fourth and final study, the thermal, cardiovascular, and selected cellular responses following three weeks of t

McCleave, E. L., Slattery, K. M., Duffield, R., Crowcroft, S., Abbiss, C. R., Wallace, L. K., & Coutts, A. J. (2020). Concurrent heat and intermittent hypoxic training: No additional performance benefit over temperate training. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance, 15(9), 1260-1271. https://doi.org/10.1123/IJSPP.2019-0277