Greater chance of high core temperatures with modified pacing strategy during team sport in the heat

Abstract

Objectives: To measure the activity profile, hydration status and core temperature of elite team sport athletes during matches in hot and cool conditions. Design: Thirty-five professional Australian footballers (age 25.9±3.5 yrs; height 188.4±7.8cm; body mass 90.6±8.8kg), gave informed consent to participate in this study. Core temperature (Tc), hydration and running performance were compared in eight hot and eight cool matches classified via a rating of the risk of heat illness from the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT). Methods: Core temperature was measured via an ingestible sensor before matches and after each quarter and player movement was recorded by 5Hz GPS and expressed per period o..