Some like it hot: maximising rugby sevens performance in the heat
- Publication Type:
- Thesis
- Issue Date:
- 2023
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When athletes perform or train in thermally challenging conditions, they are subject to added physiological strain. The physical demands of rugby sevens and the competition environment form a considerable thermo-physiological challenge for athletes that may threaten athlete health and performance. At present, whilst there is a well-developed understanding of the consequences of exercise in the heat for endurance sports, relatively little is known on its effects on sports requiring an intense intermittent activity profile, such as rugby sevens. This thesis contains five studies that aimed to provide evidence-informed, feasible solutions that assist high-level female rugby sevens athletes that compete in thermally challenging environments. The first two studies described levels of hyperthermia experienced in-competition in (1) a range of intermittent sports (study one); and (2) within elite women’s rugby sevens (study two). The findings showed almost 90% of the included studies reported some degree of hyperthermia (including women’s rugby sevens). Studies three and four provided proof of concept for feasible approaches to heat acclimation (additional clothing; study three) and pre-cooling interventions (phase-change vest; study four) that could help elite female rugby sevens athletes mitigate thermal strain in situ. The results of study three showed that training in hot conditions provides comparable core body temperatures to the matches in temperate conditions observed in study two, and that additional clothing worn during training can be a viable and effective method to increase the heat strain experienced. Study four found wearing phase change cooling vests before, and during the warm-up limited the rise in core body temperature before a match, but only in hot conditions. Study five described the responses to a real five-day heat acclimatisation program for rugby sevens where training content remained rugby specific. Beneficial cardiovascular adaptations were found without expensive facilities/equipment or changing training content. Changes in resting core temperature, sweat rate, and thermal effort/perceptions likely required a greater thermal impulse. Collectively, these findings support the development of integrated training plans aimed at maximising physical capacity in rugby sevens through heat tolerance adaptations. The findings from the series of studies in this thesis has contributed to a narrowing of the gap between research and practice and supported athletes preparing for the Olympic Games.
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