Individual relationship between total distance covered during HOT and CON and delta increase in core temperature (°C) where open circles are from the HOT game and the closed circles are from CON.

<p>Individual relationship between total distance covered during HOT and CON and delta increase in core temperature (°C) where open circles are from the HOT game and the closed circles are from CON.</p

Total distance covered (A), high intensity running (i.e. >14 km⋅h⁻¹) (B) and sprinting (i.e. >24 km⋅h⁻¹) (C) in total and in each half of CON (black bars) and HOT (white bars).

<p>N = 17. *Significant different between conditions; #significant different from the first half (P<0.05).</p

Success rate of all passes (black bars), forward passes (light grey bars) and crosses (dark grey bars).

<p>N = 17. *Significant different between conditions (P<0.05).</p

Sprint characteristics in 15-min periods in HOT and CON.

<p>Average peak speed (km·h⁻¹), average speed (km·h⁻¹) and average length (m) of the sprints in the game in 15-min intervals (N = 17).</p>*<p>Significant different between conditions (P<0.05).</p

Muscle temperature (Tm; triangles; N = 12) and core temperature (Tc; circles; N = 17) after the first and second half in HOT (open symbols) and CON (closed symbols).

<p>Muscle temperature (Tm; triangles; N = 12) and core temperature (Tc; circles; N = 17) after the first and second half in HOT (open symbols) and CON (closed symbols).</p

High intensity running during the most intense 5-min period of the game and the 5-min period immediately following the most intense 5-min periods in CON (black bars) and HOT (white bars).

<p>Average for all other 5-min periods are shown as the solid and dashed horizontal line for CON and HOT, respectively. N = 17. *Significant different between conditions (P<0.05).</p

Average 30-m sprinting speed in baseline (black bars), after CON (light grey bars) and after HOT (dark grey bars).

<p>N = 17. *Significant different from baseline (P<0.05).</p

The use of infra-red thermography for the dynamic measurement of skin temperature of moving athletes during competition; methodological issues

Objective: To investigate the use of infra-red thermography (IRT) for skin temperature measurement of moving athletes during competition and its sensitivity to factors that are traditionally standardised. Approach: Thermograms were collected for 18 female athletes during the 20km racewalk at the 2019 World Athletics Championships, with a medium-wave, cooled indium antimonide (MWIR) and a long-wave, uncooled microbolometer (LWIR) infrared camera. Main results: The MWIR provided greater clarity images of motion due to a shorter exposure and response time and produced a higher percentage of acceptable images. Analysing acceptable images only, the LWIR and WMIR produced good levels of agreement, with a bias of -0.1 ± 0.6°C in mean skin temperature for the LWIR. As the surface area of an ROI was reduced, the measured temperature became less representative of the whole ROI. Compared to measuring the whole area ROI, a single central pixel produced a bias of 0.3 ± 0.3°C (MWIR) and 0.1 ± 0.4°C (LWIR) whilst using the maximum and minimum temperature pixels resulted in deviations of 1.3 ± 0.4 and -1.1 ± 0.3°C (MWIR) and 1.2 ± 0.3 and -1.3 ± 0.4°C (LWIR). The sensitivity to air and reflected temperatures was lower for the LWIR camera, due to the higher emissivity of skin in its wavelength. Significance: IRT provides an appropriate tool for the measurement of skin temperature during real-world competition and critically during athlete motion. The cheaper LWIR camera provides a feasible alternative to the MWIR in low rate of motion scenarios, with comparable precision and sensitivity to analysis. However, the LWIR is limited when higher speeds prevent the accurate measurement and ability to capture motion

Effect of speed and gradient on plantar force when running on an AlterG® treadmill

Background Anti-gravity treadmills are used to decrease musculoskeletal loading during treadmill running often in return to play rehabilitation programs. The effect different gradients (uphill/downhill running) have on kinetics and spatiotemporal parameters when using an AlterG® treadmill is unclear with previous research focused on level running only. Methods Ten well-trained healthy male running athletes ran on the AlterG® treadmill at varying combinations of bodyweight support (60, 80, and 100% BW), speed (12 km/hr., 15 km/hr., 18 km/hr., 21 km/hr., and 24 km/hr), and gradients (− 15% decline, − 10, − 5, 0, + 5, + 10 + 15% incline), representing a total of 78 conditions performed in random order. Maximum plantar force and contact time were recorded using a wireless in-shoe force sensor insole system. Results Regression analysis showed a linear relationship for maximum plantar force with bodyweight support and running speeds for level running (p  Conclusions Maximum plantar force peaks are larger with faster running and smaller with more AlterG® assisted bodyweight support (athlete unweighing). Gradient made little difference except for a downhill grade of − 5% decreasing force peaks as compared to level or uphill running.Other Information Published in: BMC Sports Science, Medicine and Rehabilitation License: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/See article on publisher's website: http://dx.doi.org/10.1186/s13102-021-00258-4</p

Prehospital management of exertional heat stroke at sports competitions for Paralympic athletes

Objectives: To adapt key components of exertional heat stroke (EHS) prehospital management proposed by the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Adverse Weather Impact Expert Working Group for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 so that it is applicable for the Paralympic athletes.Methods: An expert working group representing members with research, clinical and lived sports experience from a Para sports perspective reviewed and revised the IOC consensus document of current best practice regarding the prehospital management of EHS.Results: Similar to Olympic competitions, Paralympic competitions are also scheduled under high environmental heat stress; thus, policies and procedures for EHS prehospital management should also be established and followed. For Olympic athletes, the basic principles of EHS prehospital care are: early recognition, early diagnosis, rapid, on-site cooling, and advanced clinical care. Although these principles also apply for Paralympic athletes, slight differences related to athlete physiology (e.g., autonomic dysfunction) and mechanisms for hands-on management (e.g., transferring the collapsed athlete or techniques for whole-body cooling) may require adaptation for care of the Paralympic athlete.Conclusions: Prehospital management of EHS in the Paralympic setting employs the same procedures as for Olympic athletes with some important alterations.</div