Abstract
This study investigated whether hot water immersion (HWI) could heat acclimate athletes and improve intermittent running performance and perception of in-game running ability, during a competitive Australian Rules Football (ARF) season. Fifteen male semi-professional ARF athletes (Mean (SD); age: 22 (3) years, height: 182.3 (6.5) cm, mass: 80.5 (5.1) kg) completed either HWI (HEAT, N = 8, 13 (2) sessions, 322 (69) min exposure, 39.5 (0.3) °C) or acted as a control (CON, N = 7, no water immersion) over 6-weeks. Athletes completed a 30–15 Intermittent Fitness Test pre and post-intervention to assess intermittent running performance (VIFT), with perception of in-game running ability measured. Heat acclimation was determined via change in resting plasma volume, as well as physiological and perceptual responses during HWI. HEAT elicited large PV expansion (mean ± 90% CI: d = 1.03 ± 0.73), large decreases in heart rate (d = -0.89 ± 0.70), thermal sensation (d = -2.30 ± 1.15) and tympanic temperature (d = -1.18 ± 0.77). Large improvements in VIFT were seen in HEAT (d = 1.67 ± 0.93), with HEAT showing a greater improvement in VIFT when compared to CON (d = 0.81 ± 0.88). HEAT also showed greater belief that in-game running ability improved post-intervention (d = 2.15 ± 1.09) compared to CON. A 6-week HWI intervention can elicit heat acclimation, improve perception of in-game running ability, and potentially improve VIFT in semi-professional ARF athletes.
Highlights
With the increasing competiveness and time demands associated with an Australian Rules Football (ARF) season, practitioners are always searching for time-efficient methods to improve running performance, in the hope of enhancing competitive performance
When comparing initial HWI immersion session of Week 1 (Initial) to Mid changes between-group, only thermal sensation resulted in a clear difference, with trivial changes seen in HR and tympanic temperature (Table 1)
The aim of this current study was to investigate a) whether a longer-term (13 ± 2 session over a 6-week period) passive hot water immersion (HWI) protocol could elict physiological adaptations consistent with Heat acclimation (HA), and b) if such a protocol could improve intermittent running performance and athletes’ belief in within-match running ability during the in-season
Summary
With the increasing competiveness and time demands associated with an Australian Rules Football (ARF) season, practitioners (e.g., performance, sports science and medical staff) are always searching for time-efficient methods to improve running performance, in the hope of enhancing competitive performance. The use of HA in team sport athletes has yeilded promising results, with, to the authors knowledge, four [2,3,4,5] out of six [2,3,4,5,6,7] HA studies showing improvements in running performance ranging from 1.5–44% (d = 0.5–2.0). The largest improvements were reported in elite ARF players, who increased their intermittent running performance in a temperate environment (23 ̊C) by 44% (d = 2.0) following a 14-day pre-season HA camp protocol [2]. Despite these promising effects, three out of the six studies identified lacked a control group. All but one were performed either in the pre-season or during the lead up to a major competition, when training volumes are often at their highest and a greater proportion of training is attributed to conditioning and physical development, compared to the in-season [8]
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