The Heat is On: Sport Science’s Battle for Athlete Health
The Summer Olympic Games Paris 2024 are on the horizon, and the weather there seems promising for athletes. Yet, let’s not forget last summer’s lesson – the Cerberus heatwave threatened new record temperatures for Southern Europe. Beyond medals and anti-doping efforts, the global sports community is shifting its focus to prioritise athlete health and safety.
At the vanguard of this critical mission is Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), a strategic partner engaging in the upcoming games. Spearheaded by Professor Yannis Pitsiladis, a distinguished figure in sports science from the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, the team is highlighting the urge to provide optimum care for athletes competing at major international sporting events.
Why Real-time Body Temperature (BT) Monitoring is Vital in Elite Sporting Competitions
Imagine trying to chill out in the sizzling summer heat, and then picture athletes out there competing, where it is so hot and humid that they are almost at the point of collapsing or worse suffering from heat illness or even stroke. Professor Pitsiladis is shedding light on this issue by conducting important research at events such as at the World Cup Sprint Triathlon race that occurred during unseasonably hot weather (~30°C WBGT*) in Hong Kong earlier this year. At this event, his team monitored core and skin temperature, and running kinematics in 66 triathletes, revealing some alarmingly high core temperatures (>40°C and in some athletes even >41°C).
*WBGT stands for “WetBulb Globe Temperature”. It is a measure of the heat stress in direct sunlight, which takes into account: temperature, humidity, wind speed, sun angle and cloud cover (solar radiation).
Save our Sports Athletes Before it is too Late
Keeping track to stay safe, Professor Pitsiladis’ team has innovated a live-transmitting technology that allows the tracking of multidisciplinary data within a single application. This innovation is a system that provides live feedback on land and air temperature, heart rate, and a range of physiological and biomechanical parameters facilitated through a single, Cloud-based portal database. This allows instant access to crucial data by the athlete support and medical teams on any internet-enabled or cellular devices, anywhere in the world.
Smart activity and temperature monitoring to enhance safety during sporting events with particular reference to athletes, officials, and workforce at increased risk. Adapted from Düking et al. (2018) with permissions from Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.; License number: 4654951032268. The ingestible thermometer pill is wirelessly connected to an external monitor device, for continuously monitoring core temperature.
This ecosystem not only allows the real-time BT assessment, but also other physiological and biomechanical responses of an athlete could undoubtedly accelerate the recognition and treatment of any athlete suffering from exertional heat stroke (EHS). The medical teams would be better equipped to recognise earlier EHS if they could be informed of the acclimatization strategies, history of exertional heat illness, current viral illness, and sleep diaries of athletes.
The incorporation of such advanced technologies and strategies is pivotal in safeguarding athletes. As we look towards the Paris 2024 Olympics and beyond, HKBU’s commitment to research and innovation ensures that athletes can perform at their peak, even in extreme weather conditions, without compromising their health.
About the Researcher
Professor Yannis Pitsiladis is a Professor at the Academy of Wellness and Human Development, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. He is an esteemed sports science and sport genetics specialist with a career spanning over two decades. He is best known for pioneering research into the impact of lifestyle and genetics on human health and performance by establishing one of the largest DNA biobanks of athletes and school-aged children.