title: Consensus recommendations on training and competing in the heat.
abstract: Exercising in the heat induces thermoregulatory and other physiological strain that can lead to impairments in endurance exercise capacity. The purpose of this consensus statement is to provide up-to-date recommendations to optimise performance during sporting activities undertaken in hot ambient conditions. The most important intervention one can adopt to reduce physiological strain and optimise performance is to heat acclimatise. Heat acclimatisation should comprise repeated exercise-heat exposures over 1-2 weeks. In addition, athletes should initiate competition and training in a euhydrated state and minimise dehydration during exercise. Following the development of commercial cooling systems (eg, cooling-vest), athletes can implement cooling strategies to facilitate heat loss or increase heat storage capacity before training or competing in the heat. Moreover, event organisers should plan for large shaded areas, along with cooling and rehydration facilities, and schedule events in accordance with minimising the health risks of athletes, especially in mass participation events and during the first hot days of the year. Following the recent examples of the 2008 Olympics and the 2014 FIFA World Cup, sport governing bodies should consider allowing additional (or longer) recovery periods between and during events, for hydration and body cooling opportunities, when competitions are held in the heat.
authors.affiliation: Athlete Health and Performance Research Centre, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Racinais
authors.affiliation: Sports Medicine Department, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar Medical and Anti-doping Commission, International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF), Montecarlo, Monaco.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Alonso
authors.affiliation: Sport and Exercise Discipline Group, University of Technology Sydney (UTS), Australia.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Coutts
authors.affiliation: FAME Laboratory, Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, University of Thessaly, Trikala, Greece.
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Flouris
authors.affiliation: Department of Physiology, Faculty of Biology and Medicine, ISSUL, Institute of Sport Sciences, University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Girard
authors.affiliation: Department of Life Sciences, Centre for Sports Medicine and Human Performance, College of Health and Life Sciences, Brunel University London, Uxbridge, UK.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: González-Alonso
authors.affiliation: Research Department, Laboratory of Sport, Expertise and Performance, French National Institute of Sport (INSEP), Paris, France.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Hausswirth
authors.affiliation: Discipline of Exercise and Sport Science, Faculty of Health Sciences, University of Sydney, Lidcombe, Australia.
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Jay
authors.affiliation: Defence Medical and Environmental Research Institute, DSO National Laboratories, Singapore, Singapore Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine, National University of Singapore, Singapore, Singapore Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore, Singapore.
authors.forename: J K W
authors.initials: JK
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: British Cycling and 'Sky Pro Cycling', National Cycling Centre, Manchester, UK.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Mitchell
authors.affiliation: National Sports Medicine Programme, Excellence in Football Project, Aspetar, Qatar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: G P
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Nassis
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutrition, Exercise and Sport, Section of Human Physiology, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark.
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Nybo
authors.affiliation: Medical Department, Royal Netherlands Lawn Tennis Association (KNLTB), Amersfoort, The Netherlands.
authors.forename: B M
authors.initials: BM
authors.lastname: Pluim
authors.affiliation: Department of Human Physiology, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels, Belgium.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Roelands
authors.affiliation: School of Applied Physiology, College of Science, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.
authors.forename: M N
authors.initials: MN
authors.lastname: Sawka
authors.affiliation: Department of Kinesiology, University of Alabama, Tuscaloosa, USA.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wingo
authors.affiliation: Athlete Health and Performance Research Centre, Aspetar Orthopaedic and Sports Medicine Hospital, Doha, Qatar.
authors.forename: J D
authors.initials: JD
authors.lastname: Périard
mesh_terms: D000064:Acclimatization / Q000502:physiology; D054874:Athletic Performance / Q000502:physiology; D001628:Beverages; D001833:Body Temperature Regulation / Q000502:physiology; D003020:Clothing; D003080:Cold Temperature; D064590:Cool-Down Exercise / Q000502:physiology; D003681:Dehydration / Q000517:prevention & control; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005440:Fluid Therapy / Q000379:methods; D018882:Heat Stress Disorders / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006358:Hot Temperature; D006801:Humans; D013177:Sports / Q000502:physiology*; D013178:Sports Medicine / Q000379:methods
keywords: Heat acclimatisation; Heat stress; Hypohydration; Thermoregulation