Extreme heat has become a game-changer in elite sports this summer, forcing athletes and organizers to adapt or face dire consequences. The scorching European summer, alongside record-breaking heatwaves in Asia, Africa, and North America, has served as a stark reminder that the old ways of training and competing are no longer sustainable.
In the past, heat-related incidents in sports were rare and often limited to the deep south of the US, where athletes would sometimes push themselves too far in August. But now, as author Alex Hutchinson notes, heat is one of the few things that can trick the brain's protective circuitry. This summer has seen a series of shocking collapses on the tennis court, with players like Ekaterina Alexandrova and Jakub Mensik succumbing to heat exhaustion. Cyclist Tom Pidcock even described the Tour de France as a "war zone," and referee Ilgiz Tantashev was found to be suffering from heat strain during a chaotic World Cup match.
The death of young Fijian rugby player Saimoni Vunilagi from suspected heatstroke in Japan further underscores the gravity of the situation. As Dr. Lee Taylor from Loughborough University warns, "The reality is that we live in a climate-change world." With more training and playing taking place in hot environments, athletes and organizers must adapt or risk the health and safety of their players.
The World Cup saw some attempts at adaptation, including mandated hydration breaks and a lack of flexibility to extend half-time despite clear rationale. Logistics, timings, player preparation, shading, and cooling all need to be tweaked to accommodate extreme heat. However, the challenge lies in the limited number of days for acclimatization at the end of the season, a problem also faced by recreational runners at the London Marathon.
Despite these challenges, experts like Taylor see heat as a performance opportunity for elite athletes. Proper preparation can give athletes a significant edge, as seen at the 2019 Doha World Athletics Championships, where up to 40% of road race participants did not finish due to inadequate preparation. However, undeclared sickness, viral loads, or medications can be dangerous combinations with heat, and events lacking a "heat deck" (medical expertise and facilities to rapidly cool someone with exertional heat stroke) are at risk.
As autumn approaches in the northern hemisphere, the Premier League is set to kick off, and Taylor believes that pre-season heat training can provide advantages. Expanding hemoglobin mass by 3-6% is a desirable adaptation for elite athletes, but the challenge lies in the quality of training sessions, as heat training is more tiring and compromises recovery.
The existential problem, however, is the unpredictability of the future. Historical data is no longer sufficient, as crazy outliers have become the norm. As Taylor says, "We used to prepare for the worst possible outcome." But with the data doctor unable to help, it's clear that the old ways of preparing for extreme heat are no longer good enough. The future of elite sports in a warming world remains uncertain, but one thing is certain: adaptation is essential to survive the heat.
