Temperate Performance and Metabolic Adaptations Following Endurance Training Performed Under Environmental Heat Stress

Date
2021
Authors
Maunder, E
Plews, DJ
Wallis, GA
Brick, MJ
Leigh, WB
Chang, W-L
Watkins, CM
Kilding, AE
Supervisor
Item type
Journal Article
Degree name
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Wiley
Abstract

Endurance athletes are frequently exposed to environmental heat stress during training. We investigated whether exposure to 33°C during training would improve endurance performance in temperate conditions and stimulate mitochondrial adaptations. Seventeen endurance-trained males were randomly assigned to perform a 3-week training intervention in 18°C (TEMP) or 33°C (HEAT). An incremental test and 30-min time-trial preceded by 2-h low-intensity cycling were performed in 18°C pre- and post-intervention, along with a resting vastus lateralis microbiopsy. Training was matched for relative cardiovascular demand using heart rates measured at the first and second ventilatory thresholds, along with a weekly "best-effort" interval session. Perceived training load was similar between-groups, despite lower power outputs during training in HEAT versus TEMP (p < .05). Time-trial performance improved to a greater extent in HEAT than TEMP (30 ± 13 vs. 16 ± 5 W, N = 7 vs. N = 6, p = .04), and citrate synthase activity increased in HEAT (fold-change, 1.25 ± 0.25, p = .03, N = 9) but not TEMP (1.10 ± 0.22, p = .22, N = 7). Training-induced changes in time-trial performance and citrate synthase activity were related (r = .51, p = .04). A group × time interaction for peak fat oxidation was observed (Δ 0.05 ± 0.14 vs. -0.09 ± 0.12 g·min-1 in TEMP and HEAT, N = 9 vs. N = 8, p = .05). Our data suggest exposure to moderate environmental heat stress during endurance training may be useful for inducing adaptations relevant to performance in temperate conditions.

Description
Keywords
Adaptation , Endurance training , Heat stress , Mitochondria , Performance
Source
Physiological Reports, 9(9), e14849.
Rights statement
© 2021 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Physiological Society and the American Physiological Society This is an open access article under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits use, distribution and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.