THE EFFECTS OF HEAT ON ATHLETIC PERFORMANCE

If you are an avid reader of fitness and or performance training, then I'm sure you have witnessed the barrage of information regarding the ergogenic benefit of cryotherapy at some point. This is any exercise or modality that subjects you to very cold to freezing temperatures. No doubt there is a distinct benefit to be had with this type of therapy (See Here), but it's only fair to reverse course and consider the other side of the spectrum with heat exposure training for athletes and fitness enthusiasts alike.

Just look at the Jamaicans

There isn't a need for an advanced course in physiology to see that when it comes to athletic performance, and especially sprinting speed, the heat reigns supreme! Track coach Tony Holler made a phenomenal point in one of his social media posts a while back. He shared with viewers the fact that the four states in our country that yield the fastest sprinters are also some of the warmest around, coincidentally. This would support the Jamaican dominance in sprinting that you routinely see, and I'm here to show you that there is some sound science that further supports these very predictable outcomes.

Heat Physiology 101

Another underrated feature of low-intensity exercise on our off days is the increase in body heat, skin heat, and core temperature that arises. A study in 2004 from The European Journal of Applied Physiology reported that subjects were not capable of producing as much force if their skin temperature decreased. 1 So our body’s “battery,” which is the Central Nervous System, starts to turn on more with this type of training, along with the attached muscles. Arguably, the greatest Speed Coach ever, Charlie Francis, was onto this notion several years ago, long before the rest of us. Moreover, you have to consider some of the most elite conditioned athletes on the planet and their heat training tactics. I train at a boxing gym, which is notorious for creating mini-heat waves in the dead of summer with minimal ventilation. It can feel like you are going to suffocate, but there exists a means to the madness. For one, VO2 max levels can increase by 5-10% in this type of environment, along with greater stroke volume and whole body vascularity and blood flow. Not to mention increased mental toughness.

Leave it to the pros

“Along with increased macro‐capillarization from tempo, it concentrates more heat within muscle fibers. Greater heat and proximity of fluid around MM neurons lowers electrical resistance, allowing the intermediate fibers to take on FT characteristics.” 2 Put differently, our body’s muscle fibers that generally behave more slowly start to respond faster. This type of muscle is normally conditioned to involve itself in activities like tempo work, long-distance, or steady-state work. However, science has discovered that these fibers will also increase their production during high-intensity efforts as well. All you have to do is make sure to get your body heat up through both internal and external means.

SCIENTIFIC REFERENCES:

#1-134‐Cheung SS, Sleivert GG. Lowering skin temperature decreases isokinetic maximal force production independent of core temperature. European Journal of Applied Physiology 91: 723‐728, 2004.

#2-Francis, Charlie. Key Concepts Elite. CharlieFrancis.com, 2008.