More and more sports centres are equipping themselves with equipment enabling acclimatisation to the heat before the Olympic Games events, with performance gains that can be significant.
No one knows yet whether the summer will be hot or whether the spring weather we are currently experiencing will continue during the Olympic Games. But the probability of experiencing at least one heatwave in Paris at the end of July and beginning of August is high. Faced with this risk, athletes are organizing themselves. In some cases, in so-called “explosive” disciplines, such as sprinting or shot put, heat can be an asset (it ensures better nerve conduction and therefore better muscle contractility). But, in the majority of sports, producing an effort below 40°C is much more costly and risky than doing so at more usual temperatures.
« Fortunately, the body is well made and we can acclimatize to the heat. »explains Franck Brocherie. This scientist, an expert in physiology at Insep, is leading a government-funded research program that aims to optimize athletes’ performance through the use of environmental stresses, including…
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