Case Study The Effects of Post-Exercise Sauna Bathing on 5- and 10- km Performance in University Level Track Athletes
Heat Acclimation and Running Performance
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.12922/jshp.v11i1.189Keywords:
heat acclimation, cross tolerance, extreme conditionsAbstract
Background: Sporting events are commonly held in environments that differ from an athlete’s typical training environment, impacting performance. To maximize performance and tolerance of said environments, athletes often employ adaptation strategies in natural or controlled-stress settings prior to competition. The purpose of this case study was to determine if post-exercise sauna bathing could augment performance in University-level track and field athletes competing in temperate [TEMP] as well as hot and humid environments [HOT]. Methods: Two male runners partook in a three-week heat acclimation (HA) protocol. Athletes completed a total of 16 post-exercise sauna sessions (total time: 600 minutes at ~40-50oC, 5-10% humidity) and 2 heat chamber runs (90 minutes at ~12-15 kmph and a constant 38.5oC, 5-10% humidity). Blood was sampled pre- and post- HA to assess plasma volume (PV) percent change (∆). Results: PV increased by 13.5% and 4.9% following HA. Both athletes had lifetime personal bests in the 5-km in the TEMP competition, posting an average improvement of 1.3±0.8% from their previous personal best. Of the two athletes, one competed at the HOT competition in 2015 for the 10-km and ran 1:40.4 faster in 2016, reducing their time to completion by 5.0%. Conclusions: Post-exercise sauna bathing could be a practical and time-efficient method to enhance track and field athlete performance in 5- and 10-km events in both temperate and hot conditions.
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