Ensuring high levels of performance and safety in hot climates is a key consideration for sport scientists and coaches. Maximising Performance in Hot Environments is the first book with a project-based approach to focus solely on exercise in this common climactic condition, providing students and coaches with a clear and concise introduction to working with athletes in the heat. Rigorous in its physiological underpinnings, the book adopts a problem-based learning approach, encouraging students to engage with the science and apply it to practical, real-world scenarios. Posing questions such as "how should athletes be monitored in high temperatures", "what are the ideal conditions for setting a world record in a 10,000m race", and "what special considerations should be made when working with masters athletes", the book covers all key topics, including: The basics of human thermoregulation The effect of high temperatures on performance Heat acclimation and acclimatisation Cooling Hydration Preventing heat-related illness and injury Offering pedagogical features throughout to further enhance student learning, this is a truly innovative and unique resource. It is crucial reading for any student taking classes in environmental physiology, important applied reading for any exercise physiology students, and a vital companion for any sport scientist or coach working with athletes in high temperatures.

The book is designed to provide a flowing description of the physiology of heat stress, the illnesses associated with heat exposure, recommendations on optimising health and performance, and an examination of Olympic sports played in potentially hot environmental conditions. In the first section the book examines how heat stress effects performance by outlining the basics of thermoregulation and how these responses impact on cardiovascular, central nervous system, and skeletal muscle function. It also outlines the pathophysiology and treatment of exertional heat illness, as well as the role of hydration status during exercise in the heat. Thereafter, countermeasures (e.g. cooling and heat acclimation) are covered and an explanation as to how they may aid in decreasing the incidence of heat illness and minimise the impairment in performance is provided. A novel and particular feature of the book is its inclusion of sport-specific chapters in which the influence of heat stress on performance and health is described, as well as strategies and policies adopted by the governing bodies in trying to offset the deleterious role of thermal strain. Given the breadth and scope of the sections, the book will be a reference guide for clinicians, practitioners, coaches, athletes, researchers, and students.

This unique book is the first of its kind to specifically explore the science, medicine, challenges and successful experiences of assisting those who must perform and thrive in hot conditions, with an eye toward maximizing both performance and safety. Beginning with both human and comparative physiology as it relates to coping with the heat, key concepts are subsequently elaborated, including heat acclimatization, work-to-rest ratios, hydration, sleep, the effects of altitude, and the use of drugs and supplements. The sections that follow discuss heat-related considerations in individual and team sports and other populations, monitoring techniques, and medical and legal issues. Athletes, warfighters and laborers are often forced to perform intense physical activity in the heat as a part of their jobs or lifestyle. The process of properly preparing for this challenge is multifaceted and often not fully understood or utilized. Sport and Physical Activity in the Heat is an excellent resource for team physicians, high-level coaches, serious athletes, athletic trainers, exercise scientists, strength and conditioning coaches, industrial hygienists, military commanders, or anyone involved in the process of maximizing performance and safety during exercise in the heat for the athlete, warfighter, or laborer.

The sport of soccer has evolved immensely since its beginning around 2,000 years ago and is now considered the most popular sport in the world. The research related to the physical, psychological, and tactical aspects of the game has risen in conjunction with its fame. Elite Soccer Players: Maximizing Performance and Safety seeks to inform the reader with the most current research connected to optimizing physical performance and reducing the risk of injury of the elite soccer athlete for a variety of ages. After providing an initial brief overview of applying physical and psychological scientific concepts in soccer ("Part I: Laying the Foundation”), this book then takes the reader through a series of important yet novel parts including: “Athlete Monitoring and Data Analysis,” “Optimizing Physical Performance,” “Injury Epidemiology and Risk Reduction,” “Achieving Peak Performance and Safety in Various Environmental Conditions,” and “Unique Aspects of the Game.” The goal of Elite Soccer Players: Maximizing Performance and Safety is to conceptualize and expand upon the current research associated with these topics and provide an applicable point of view to the coaches, sport scientists, strength and conditioning coaches, and sports medicine professionals who work with these athletes every day.

Ensuring high levels of performance and safety in hot climates is a key consideration for sport scientists and coaches. Maximising Performance in Hot Environments is the first book with a project-based approach to focus solely on exercise in this common climactic condition, providing students and coaches with a clear and concise introduction to working with athletes in the heat. Rigorous in its physiological underpinnings, the book adopts a problem-based learning approach, encouraging students to engage with the science and apply it to practical, real-world scenarios. Posing questions such as "how should athletes be monitored in high temperatures", "what are the ideal conditions for setting a world record in a 10,000m race", and "what special considerations should be made when working with masters athletes", the book covers all key topics, including: The basics of human thermoregulation The effect of high temperatures on performance Heat acclimation and acclimatisation Cooling Hydration Preventing heat-related illness and injury Offering pedagogical features throughout to further enhance student learning, this is a truly innovative and unique resource. It is crucial reading for any student taking classes in environmental physiology, important applied reading for any exercise physiology students, and a vital companion for any sport scientist or coach working with athletes in high temperatures.