The Impact of Heat on Athletic Performance

Heat significantly affects the performance of elite athletes, as demonstrated by a study during the 2019 World Athletics Championships in Doha, where athletes' performances in endurance events deteriorated by 3 to 20% compared to their personal bests, correlating with the extreme heat and humidity. Despite efforts to mitigate these conditions, such as scheduling events at midnight and utilizing air-conditioned venues, performance reductions remained pronounced. The physiological response to heat involves the body diverting blood to the skin to regulate temperature, which limits blood flow to muscles, leading to increased perceived exertion, accelerated dehydration, and overall diminished performance. Furthermore, extreme heat poses the risk of exertional heat stroke—a severe and potentially fatal condition characterized by the body's inability to dissipate heat. This ailment shows a concerning impact on young athletes, contributing to sudden death in cases of untreated heat-related illnesses, with survival rates drastically declining without prompt intervention.