Diverse Effects of Thermal Conditions on Performance of Marathon Runners
Peer reviewed, Journal article
Published version

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Date
2020Metadata
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- NTNU Handelshøyskolen [1782]
- Publikasjoner fra CRIStin - NTNU [40022]
Original version
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2020.01438Abstract
Heat exposure affects human performance in many ways. Both physiological (i.e.,
glycogen sparing, oxygen uptake, thermoregulation) and biomechanical mechanisms
(i.e., contact time, knee flexion, muscle activity) are affected, hence reducing
performance. However, the exposure affects persons differently. Not all athletes
necessarily experience an identical thermal condition similarly, and this point has been
overlooked to date. We analyzed endurance performances of the top 1000 runners
for every year during the last 12 New York City Marathons. Thermal conditions were
estimated with wet-bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and universal thermal climate index
(UTCI). Under identical thermal exposure, the fastest runners experienced a larger
decline in performance than the slower ones. The empirical evidence offered here not
only shows that thermal conditions affect runners differently, but also that some groups
might consistently suffer more than others. Further research may inspect other factors
that could be affected by thermal conditions, as pacing and race strategy