1. Heat Adaptation and Nutrition Practices: Athlete and Practitioner Knowledge and Use
- Author
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Salma, Alabdulwahed, Natalia, Galán-López, Tom, Hill, Lewis J, James, Bryna Catherine Rose, Chrismas, Sebastien, Racinais, Trent, Stellingwerff, Diogo V, Leal, Matheus, Hausen, Karim, Chamari, Hugh H K, Fullagar, Christopher, Esh, and Lee, Taylor
- Subjects
Thermotolerance ,Hot Temperature ,Athletes ,Acclimatization ,1106 Human Movement and Sports Sciences, 1116 Medical Physiology, 1701 Psychology ,Humans ,Orthopedics and Sports Medicine ,Physical Therapy, Sports Therapy and Rehabilitation ,Sport Sciences ,Body Temperature - Abstract
Purpose: To survey elite athletes and practitioners to identify (1) knowledge and application of heat acclimation/acclimatization (HA) interventions, (2) barriers to HA application, and (3) nutritional practices supporting HA. Methods: Elite athletes (n = 55) and practitioners (n = 99) completed an online survey. Mann–Whitney U tests (effect size [ES; r]) assessed differences between ROLE (athletes vs practitioners) and CLIMATE (hot vs temperate). Logistic regression and Pearson chi-square (ES Phi [ϕ]) assessed relationships. Results: Practitioners were more likely to report measuring athletes’ core temperature (training: practitioners 40% [athletes 15%]; P = .001, odds ratio = 4.0, 95% CI, 2%–9%; competition: practitioners 25% [athletes 9%]; P = .020, odds ratio = 3.4, 95% CI, 1%–10%). Practitioners (55% [15% athletes]) were more likely to perceive rectal as the gold standard core temperature measurement site (P = .013, ϕ = .49, medium ES). Temperate (57% [22% hot]) CLIMATE dwellers ranked active HA effectiveness higher (P r = .30, medium ES). Practitioners commonly identified athletes’ preference (48%), accessibility, and cost (both 47%) as barriers to HA. Increasing carbohydrate intake when training in the heat was more likely recommended by practitioners (49%) than adopted by athletes (26%; P = .006, 95% CI, 0.1%–1%). Practitioners (56% [28% athletes]) were more likely to plan athletes’ daily fluid strategies, adopting a preplanned approach (P = .001; 95% CI, 0.1%–1%). Conclusions: Practitioners, and to a greater extent athletes, lacked self-reported key HA knowledge (eg, core temperature assessment/monitoring methods) yet demonstrated comparatively more appropriate nutritional practices (eg, hydration).
- Published
- 2022
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