title: Hot ambient conditions do not alter intermittent cycling sprint performance.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of hot exposure on the ability to perform intermittent cycling sprints.
  
  
  METHODS
  Repeated measures.
  
  
  METHODS
  Ten male volunteers performed 35 min of intermittent cycling comprising of 8 maximal 6-s sprints interspersed by 1 min of passive recovery followed by 4 min of constant-load pedaling (1 W kg(-1) of body weight) on a cycle ergometer in control (24°C, 24%rH) and hot (40°C, 40%rH) environments.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Peak power output did not decrease during the exercise and was not dependent on the environmental temperature (average of 767±120 W in control and 767±119 W in hot, NS). Skin temperatures (e.g., chest: 36.8±0.8 vs. 32.7±0.6°C), heart rate (132±13 vs. 118±13 bpm) and rating of perceived exertion (13±3 vs. 11±3) were higher (all p<.05) in hot than control environment. However, EMG activity (RMS, vastus lateralis) and neuromuscular efficiency (power/RMS ratio) were similar at the two environmental conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Despite higher cardiovascular and perceptual strain in the hot trial, heat exposure did not alter neither peak power output nor related muscle activation and neuromuscular efficiency in the absence of hyperthermia (average core temperature of 37.6±0.3°C in control vs. 37.7±0.4°C in hot, NS).
authors.affiliation: Exercise and Sports Science Department-ASPETAR, Qatar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: Fuad
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Almudehki
authors.forename: Olivier
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Girard
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grantham
authors.forename: Sebastien
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Racinais
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D001642:Bicycling / Q000502:physiology*; D001831:Body Temperature / Q000502:physiology; D002320:Cardiovascular Physiological Phenomena; D002319:Cardiovascular System; D004576:Electromyography; D006339:Heart Rate / Q000502:physiology; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D005082:Physical Exertion / Q000502:physiology; D052097:Quadriceps Muscle / Q000502:physiology; D055815:Young Adult