Week 9 Seminar - Environmental Physiology

Question 1

What are the considerations to be made during travel when flying business class following a successful high altitude heat acclimation training camp ?

Answer 1

Avoid sickness via:

• Moving seats with staff
• Using residual action alcohol type hand sanitiser
• Consumption of Zink Acetate if beginning to feel ill

Also need to prevent dehydration and consider the sleeping conditions and adjust these if necessary

Question 2

What are the considerations to be made when arriving at the race location following a successful high altitude heat acclimation training camp and travel ?

Answer 2

Avoid sickness via:

• Using residual action alcohol type hand sanitiser
• Consumption of Zink Acetate if beginning to feel ill

Need to maintain performance benefit so taper down from the high intensity training camp, recover and then compete on race day.

Need to keep heat adaptation via sauna’s, hot water bathing, excess layers with adequate water intake.

Need to re-adjust to any time zone differences

On race day use a pre cooling strategies that has been tested prior to this point either in the run up weeks of tapering or at prior points in time.

Question 3

What are the considerations to be made when at altitude in a training camp prior to a big race where the temperature is going to be high ?

Answer 3

• Increase calorie intake as altitude raises RMR
• Consume foods high in antioxidants but try to avoid getting this from supplements
• Increase iron consumption by 100-200mg/ daily

Sessions need to be done with pre and post heating to ensure that the athlete is going through acclimation so that they can withstand the hotter race conditions.