Strat{\'e}gies de gestion de la chaleur et performances sportives de haut niveau: {\'e}clairage psychophysiologique et recommandations appliqu{\'e}es

TL;DR

This paper reviews heat stress management strategies for high-level athletes competing in hot and humid environments, emphasizing physiological and psychological adaptations, and provides practical recommendations for optimizing performance.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive analysis of both traditional and innovative heat management strategies, including mental techniques and cooling methods, with practical guidelines for athletes and coaches.

Findings

Active acclimatization promotes physiological and psychological adaptation.

Fluid management and cooling techniques have beneficial physiological effects.

Mental strategies can mitigate performance decline in heat environments.

Abstract

Objectives: This article sheds light on the different heat stress management strategies, common or innovative, in order to analyze those that would be the most suitable and effective for athletes who have to compete in humid and/or hot environments.News: The Paris summer Olympics Games in 2024 will take place from July 26th to September 8th with a high risk for athletes to practice their sport at high temperatures, thereby imposing physiological (cardiovascular, ventilatory, thermoregulatory, etc.) and psychological (early mental fatigue, decreased motivation, discomfort, etc.) which can have a major negative impact on their performance.Prospects and projects: To perform in a hot environment, it is now recommended to use strategies, in particular active acclimatization which promotes physiological but also psychological adaptations. Similarly, fluid management and cooling techniques have potentially beneficial effects on physiological factors but their psychological consequences are still poorly understood and need to be investigated. Finally, mental strategies (goal setting, mental imagery, positive self-talk, music, etc.) or cognitive training in the heat can limit poor performance in this condition. The effects of combining physical and mental techniques, as well as innovative strategies such as cold suggestion, are also being investigated.Conclusion: For each strategies presented, the scientific work has enabled the development of practical recommendations for athletes, coaches and mental trainers in order to allow them to physiologically and psychologically anticipate the effects of high relative humidity and/or high temperature.