Heat acclimatization

When it comes to thermal comfort for athletes in hot conditions, some people may wonder what role heat dumping should play in this balancing act. On one hand, athletes exposed to heat for a prolonged period of time can develop adaptations that make it more tolerable for them to play in the heat in the future. On the other hand, being exposed to more heat than the body can tolerate can lead to heat illnesses and extremely dangerous situations.

In the end, making the decision to accommodate to hot environments (heat dumping) vs to adapt to hot environments (heat acclimatization) is not a situation where you need to choose one over the other, nor should it be implemented haphazardly. It also depends on your team's situation; it normally takes 1-2 weeks of consistent, progressive exposure to heat to get the benefits. If you are a team from a cooler locale taking a road trip to a hotter one, you may not be able to properly heat acclimatize. Depending on the situation and the individual, both tactics may play a vital part of your overall strategy.

Read more about heat acclimatization and suggested protocols from the Gatorade Sports Science Institute here.

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