Many athletic events, such as the current Wimbledon Tennis Championships, are staged in hot to very hot environmental conditions. Clinicians should be aware of the risks posed to athletes competing under heat stress and how to mitigate them.

Dr. Julien Périard is a former successful triathlete and now works at Aspetar, Qatar, as a senior research scientist investigating athletic performance under heat stress conditions. BJSM’s Liam West (@Liam_West) poses questions about what heat illness encompasses, what signs and symptoms to look for and how to take care of athletes.

See the 2015 Consensus Statement on Training and Competing in the Heat via BJSM’s Online First http://bit.ly/1CfQLCj The Consensus Statement will be published in BJSM issue 15 which goes live on July 16, 2015 (http://bjsm.bmj.com/)

Primary Link;
Racinais S, ..., & Périard J. (2015). Consensus recommendations on training and competing in the heat (Online First) - http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2015/06/11/bjsports-2015-094915.abstract?sid=4f2f6068-8857-4c4b-ba0e-143084d62ff0

Other reading:
April 2014, Volume 48, Supp 1 – Heat Stress & Tennis Performance - http://bjsm.bmj.com/content/48/Suppl_1.tocBergeron MF. (2008).

Muscle cramps during exercise - Is it fatigue or electrolyte deficit? Curr Sports Med Rep7, S50-S55. Périard JD, Racinais S & Sawka MN. (2015).

Adaptations and mechanisms of human heat acclimation:- Applications for competitive athletes and sports. Scand J Med Sci Sports25, 20-38. Girard O, Brocherie F & Bishop DJ. (2015).

Sprint performance under heat stress: A review. Scand J Med Sci Sports25, 79-89. Sawka MN, Leon LR, Montain SJ & Sonna LA. (2011).

Integrated physiological mechanisms of exercise performance, adaptation, and maladaptation to heat stress. Compr Physiol1, 1883-1928.

Book chapter: Leon, LR and Kenefick, RW (2011). Pathophysiology of Heat-Related Illnesses. In: Wilderness Medicine. Ch 10. Auerbach, PS (Ed) http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a559070.pdf

Blogs:
Thermal perception as a controller of exercise intensity - http://blogs.bmj.com/bjsm/2012/04/28/cool-it-so-is-thermal-perception-a-controller-of-exercise-intensity-during-heat-stress/

Prevention of heat illness – part one - http://blogs.bmj.com/bjsm/2011/03/24/evidence-based-considerations-for-the-prevention-of-heat-related-illness-in-marathon-training-part-1/

Prevention of heat illness – part two - http://blogs.bmj.com/bjsm/2011/03/25/evidence-based-considerations-for-the-prevention-of-heat-related-illness-in-marathon-training-part-2/