Apparent temperature and heat‐related illnesses during international athletic championships: A prospective cohort study

Hollander, Karsten; Klöwer, Milan; Richardson, Andy; Navarro, Laurent; Racinais, Sébastien; Scheer, Volker; Murray, Andrew; Branco, Pedro; Timpka, Toomas; Junge, Astrid; Édouard, Pascal

doi:10.1111/sms.14029

Cited by 21 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 38 publications

(124 reference statements)

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“…An increase in environmental heat stress has been reported to increase the number of heat-related illness cases in international marathon and race-walk events. 2 Given that up to 13 athletes required a wheelchair during a single event (women’s marathon, table 1 ), the current study suggests that event organisers should consider a 1:5 wheelchairs to starters ratio for WC road-races in hot and humid conditions.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

“…Thus, in the humid conditions of the current WC, where sweat rates exceeded the maximal evaporation rate possible, the effect of sex on performance was likely trivial 21. Moreover, a retrospective analysis of 7 international athletic championships revealed 132 cases of heat illnesses, but did not observe sex differences 2. No effects of sex were also observed for heat-related illness in elite cycling13 and beach volleyball 6.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

“… 21 Moreover, a retrospective analysis of 7 international athletic championships revealed 132 cases of heat illnesses, but did not observe sex differences. 2 No effects of sex were also observed for heat-related illness in elite cycling 13 and beach volleyball. 6 Yet, this latter study reported that 60% of the heat-related medical time-outs were among women, 6 and the current study also showed a higher proportion of women than men suffered a medical event (although due to the higher ambient temperatures during the women’s).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

“…Future studies should obtain nuanced detail behind DNF and medical events. The results from previous WC are presented only for context and complete retrospective analyses of the relationships between weather, health and/or performance are available elsewhere 2 29…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…While an air-conditioned stadium was used during the recent 2019 athletics World Championships (WC), this is evidently not possible for endurance road-race events. Unfortunately, despite some retrospective analyses,1 2 there is a paucity of data on how hot ambient conditions affect the physiological responses, health and performance of elite athletes during competition.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Association between thermal responses, medical events, performance, heat acclimation and health status in male and female elite athletes during the 2019 Doha World Athletics Championships

et al. 2022

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PurposeTo determine associations between thermal responses, medical events, performance, heat acclimation and health status during a World Athletics Championships in hot-humid conditions.MethodsFrom 305 marathon and race-walk starters, 83 completed a preparticipation questionnaire on health and acclimation. Core (Tcore; ingestible pill) and skin (Tskin; thermal camera) temperatures were measured in-competition in 56 and 107 athletes, respectively. 70 in-race medical events were analysed retrospectively. Performance (% personal best) and did not finish (DNF) were extracted from official results.ResultsPeak Tcore during competition reached 39.6°C±0.6°C (maximum 41.1°C). Tskin decreased from 32.2°C±1.3°C to 31.0°C±1.4°C during the races (p<0.001). Tcore was not related to DNF (25% of starters) or medical events (p≥0.150), whereas Tskin, Tskin rate of decrease and Tcore-to-Tskin gradient were (p≤0.029). A third of the athletes reported symptoms in the 10 days preceding the event, mainly insomnia, diarrhoea and stomach pain, with diarrhoea (9% of athletes) increasing the risk of in-race medical events (71% vs 17%, p<0.001). Athletes (63%) who performed 5–30 days heat acclimation before the competition: ranked better (18±13 vs 28±13, p=0.009), displayed a lower peak Tcore (39.4°C±0.4°C vs 39.8°C±0.7°C, p=0.044) and larger in-race decrease in Tskin (−1.4°C±1.0°C vs −0.9°C±1.2°C, p=0.060), than non-acclimated athletes. Although not significant, they also showed lower DNF (19% vs 30%, p=0.273) and medical events (19% vs 32%, p=0.179).ConclusionTskin, Tskin rate of decrease and Tcore-to-Tskin gradient were important indicators of heat tolerance. While heat-acclimated athletes ranked better, recent diarrhoea represented a significant risk factor for DNF and in-race medical events.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 83%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 93%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 97%

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

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Association between thermal responses, medical events, performance, heat acclimation and health status in male and female elite athletes during the 2019 Doha World Athletics Championships

et al. 2022

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Building an Operational Decision Support System for Multiple Weather‐Induced Health Hazards

Di Napoli

2024

Responding to Extreme Weather Events

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Healthy environments for athleTes (HEAT): environmental conditions along a 90 km ultra-marathon event, South Africa

Havenga,

Gharbi,

Sewry

et al. 2024

Int J Biometeorol

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This paper provides an overview of the HEAT (Healthy Environments for AthleTes) project, which aims to understand the impact of environmental conditions on athlete health and performance during major sporting events such as long-distance running, cycling, and triathlons. In collaboration with the SAFER (Strategies to reduce Adverse medical events For the ExerciseR) initiative, the HEAT project carried out a field campaign at the 2022 Comrades Marathon in the KwaZulu-Natal province of South Africa. The measurement campaign deployed seven weather stations, seven PM2.5 monitors and one spore trap along the 90 km route to capture spatially representative measurements of complex micro-climates, allergenic aerospora, and particulate matter exposure. The results indicate that runners were exposed to moderate risk heat stress conditions. Novel findings from this initial campaign shows elevated and potentially harmful PM2.5 levels at spectator areas, possibly coinciding with small fire events around the race day festivities. Our findings show values PM2.5 levels over the WHO 24-h guidelines at all stations, while 2000 µg/m3 at two stations. However, the lack of an acute exposure standard means direct health impacts cannot be quantified in the context of a sport event. The HEAT project highlights important aspects of race day monitoring; regional scale climatology has an impact on the race day conditions, the microclimatic conditions (pollution and meteorology) are not necessarily captured by proximity instruments and direct environmental measurements are required to accurately capture conditions along the route.

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Apparent temperature and heat‐related illnesses during international athletic championships: A prospective cohort study

Cited by 21 publications

References 38 publications

Association between thermal responses, medical events, performance, heat acclimation and health status in male and female elite athletes during the 2019 Doha World Athletics Championships

Association between thermal responses, medical events, performance, heat acclimation and health status in male and female elite athletes during the 2019 Doha World Athletics Championships

Building an Operational Decision Support System for Multiple Weather‐Induced Health Hazards

Healthy environments for athleTes (HEAT): environmental conditions along a 90 km ultra-marathon event, South Africa

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