International Olympic Committee consensus statement on thermoregulatory and altitude challenges for high-level athletes.

Details

Serval ID
serval:BIB_8B7A90B1F3EE
Type
Article: article from journal or magazin.
Publication sub-type
Review (review): journal as complete as possible of one specific subject, written based on exhaustive analyses from published work.
Collection
Publications
Institution
Title
International Olympic Committee consensus statement on thermoregulatory and altitude challenges for high-level athletes.
Journal
British Journal of Sports Medicine
Author(s)
Bergeron M., Bahr R., Bärtsch P., Bourdon L., Calbet J., Carlsen K.H., Castagna O., González-Alonso J., Lundby C., Maughan R., Millet G. P., Mountjoy M., Racinais S., Rasmussen P., Subudhi A., Young A., Soligard T., Engebretsen L.
ISSN
1473-0480 (Electronic)
ISSN-L
0306-3674
Publication state
Published
Issued date
2012
Peer-reviewed
Oui
Volume
46
Number
11
Pages
770-779
Language
english
Notes
Publication types: Journal Article Publication Status: ppublish
Abstract
Challenging environmental conditions, including heat and humidity, cold, and altitude, pose particular risks to the health of Olympic and other high-level athletes. As a further commitment to athlete safety, the International Olympic Committee (IOC) Medical Commission convened a panel of experts to review the scientific evidence base, reach consensus, and underscore practical safety guidelines and new research priorities regarding the unique environmental challenges Olympic and other international-level athletes face. For non-aquatic events, external thermal load is dependent on ambient temperature, humidity, wind speed and solar radiation, while clothing and protective gear can measurably increase thermal strain and prompt premature fatigue. In swimmers, body heat loss is the direct result of convection at a rate that is proportional to the effective water velocity around the swimmer and the temperature difference between the skin and the water. Other cold exposure and conditions, such as during Alpine skiing, biathlon and other sliding sports, facilitate body heat transfer to the environment, potentially leading to hypothermia and/or frostbite; although metabolic heat production during these activities usually increases well above the rate of body heat loss, and protective clothing and limited exposure time in certain events reduces these clinical risks as well. Most athletic events are held at altitudes that pose little to no health risks; and training exposures are typically brief and well-tolerated. While these and other environment-related threats to performance and safety can be lessened or averted by implementing a variety of individual and event preventative measures, more research and evidence-based guidelines and recommendations are needed. In the mean time, the IOC Medical Commission and International Sport Federations have implemented new guidelines and taken additional steps to mitigate risk even further.
Pubmed
Web of science
Open Access
Yes
Create date
27/09/2012 18:13
Last modification date
20/08/2019 14:50
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