暑熱環境下の運動パフォーマンスと安全

抄録

Exercise in the heat poses unique stress to the thermoregulatory system and body fluid regulation. Understanding the complex interaction between the environmental heat stress and the exercising body is imperative in optimizing exercise performance and safety in the heat. The thermal physiology of human during exercise has been well described in laboratory studies, which provided evidence-based recommendations for practitioners and athletes to follow to maximize their performance. However, confounding variables that are unique to the individual, organizational and environmental context further challenges the scientists to establish strategies in reducing thermal stress during exercise. This review provides a brief overview of human body temperature and fluid regulations and explore ways in which one may optimize performance in the heat through the means of heat acclimatization, proper hydration, and body cooling. Second, safety precautions in the heat to minimize the risk of exertional heat illness are discussed with a recent example of regionally specific activity modification guideline that is being investigated in the United States. Lastly, limitations in laboratory based thermal physiology studies are discussed, such as lack of external validity in simulating the true environmental heat stress and lack of validated method in measuring real-time internal body temperature change and hydration status during exercise.