Exercise Physiology: Energy, Nutrition and Human Performance

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We investigated whether fatigue during prolonged exercise in uncompensable hot environments occurred at the same critical level of hyperthermia when the initial value and the rate of increase in bo...

Influence of body temperature on the development of fatigue during prolonged exercise in the heat

Sleep deprivation severely compromises the ability of human beings to respond to stimuli in a timely fashion. These deficits have been attributed in large part to failures of vigilant attention, which many theorists believe forms the bedrock of the other more complex components of cognition. One of the leading paradigms used as an assay of vigilant attention is the psychomotor vigilance test (PVT), a high signal-load reaction-time test that is extremely sensitive to sleep deprivation. Over the last twenty years, four dominant findings have emerged from the use of this paradigm. First, sleep deprivation results in an overall slowing of responses. Second, sleep deprivation increases the propensity of individuals to lapse for lengthy periods (>500ms), as well as make errors of commission. Third, sleep deprivation enhances the time-on-task effect within each test bout. Finally, PVT results during extended periods of wakefulness reveal the presence of interacting circadian and homeostatic sleep drives. A theme that links these findings is the interplay of “top-down” and “bottom-up” attention in producing the unstable and unpredictable patterns of behavior that are the hallmark of the sleep-deprived state.

Sleep Deprivation and Vigilant Attention

While the physiological adaptations that occur following endurance training in previously sedentary and recreationally active individuals are relatively well understood, the adaptations to training in already highly trained endurance athletes remain unclear. While significant improvements in endurance performance and corresponding physiological markers are evident following submaximal endurance training in sedentary and recreationally active groups, an additional increase in submaximal training (i.e. volume) in highly trained individuals does not appear to further enhance either endurance performance or associated physiological variables [e.g. peak oxygen uptake (VO2peak), oxidative enzyme activity]. It seems that, for athletes who are already trained, improvements in endurance performance can be achieved only through high-intensity interval training (HIT). The limited research which has examined changes in muscle enzyme activity in highly trained athletes, following HIT, has revealed no change in oxidative or glycolytic enzyme activity, despite significant improvements in endurance performance (p < 0.05). Instead, an increase in skeletal muscle buffering capacity may be one mechanism responsible for an improvement in endurance performance. Changes in plasma volume, stroke volume, as well as muscle cation pumps, myoglobin, capillary density and fibre type characteristics have yet to be investigated in response to HIT with the highly trained athlete. Information relating to HIT programme optimisation in endurance athletes is also very sparse. Preliminary work using the velocity at which VO2max is achieved (V(max)) as the interval intensity, and fractions (50 to 75%) of the time to exhaustion at V(max) (T(max)) as the interval duration has been successful in eliciting improvements in performance in long-distance runners. However, V(max) and T(max) have not been used with cyclists. Instead, HIT programme optimisation research in cyclists has revealed that repeated supramaximal sprinting may be equally effective as more traditional HIT programmes for eliciting improvements in endurance performance. Further examination of the biochemical and physiological adaptations which accompany different HIT programmes, as well as investigation into the optimal HIT programme for eliciting performance enhancements in highly trained athletes is required.

/pdf/the-scientific-basis-for-high-intensity-interval-training-475s32uoh8.pdf

The Scientific Basis for High-Intensity Interval Training: Optimising Training Programmes and Maximising Performance in Highly Trained Endurance Athletes

https://cyberleninka.org/article/n/662127.pdf

A review of caffeine's effects on cognitive, physical and occupational performance.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the separate and combined effects of aerobic fitness, short-term heat acclimation, and hypohydration on tolerance during light exercise while wearing nuclear, biological, and chemical protective clothing in the heat (40 degrees C, 30% relative humidity). Men who were moderately fit [(MF); 55 ml . kg-1 . min-1 maximal O2 consumption; n = 8] were tested while they were euhydrated or hypohydrated by approximately 2.5% of body mass through exercise and fluid restriction the day preceding the trials. Tests were conducted before and after 2 wk of daily heat acclimation (1-h treadmill exercise at 40 degrees C, 30% relative humidity, while wearing the nuclear, biological, and chemical protective clothing). Heat acclimation increased sweat rate and decreased skin temperature and rectal temperature (Tre) in HF subjects but had no effect on tolerance time (TT). MF subjects increased sweat rate but did not alter heart rate, Tre, or TT. In both MF and HF groups, hypohydration significantly increased Tre and heart rate and decreased the respiratory exchange ratio and the TT regardless of acclimation state. Overall, the rate of rise of skin temperature was less, while DeltaTre, the rate of rise of Tre, and the TT were greater in HF than in MF subjects. It was concluded that exercise-heat tolerance in this uncompensable heat-stress environment is not influenced by short-term heat acclimation but is significantly improved by long-term aerobic fitness.

Heat acclimation, aerobic fitness, and hydration effects on tolerance during uncompensable heat stress

The purpose of the present study was to examine the duration of caffeine's ergogenic effect and whether it differs between users and nonusers of the drug. Twenty-one subjects (13 caffeine users and 8 nonusers) completed six randomized exercise rides to exhaustion at 80% of maximal oxygen consumption after ingesting either a placebo or 5 mg/kg of caffeine. Exercise to exhaustion was completed once per week at either 1, 3, or 6 h after placebo or drug ingestion. Exercise time to exhaustion differed between users and nonusers with the ergogenic effect being greater and lasting longer in nonusers. For the nonusers, exercise times 1, 3, and 6 h after caffeine ingestion were 32.7 ± 8.4, 32.1 ± 8.6, and 31.7 ± 12.0 min, respectively, and these values were each significantly greater than the corresponding placebo values of 24.2 ± 6.4, 25.8 ± 9.0, and 23.2 ± 7.1 min. For caffeine users, exercise times 1, 3, and 6 h after caffeine ingestion were 27.4 ± 7.2, 28.1 ± 7.8, and 24.5 ± 7.6 min, respectively. Only exercise times 1 and 3 h after drug ingestion were significantly greater than the respective placebo trials of 23.3 ± 6.5, 23.2 ± 7.1, and 23.5 ± 5.7 min. In conclusion, both the duration and magnitude of the ergogenic effect that followed a 5 mg/kg dose of caffeine were greater in the nonusers compared with the users.

Exercise endurance 1, 3, and 6 h after caffeine ingestion in caffeine users and nonusers

In many athletic and occupational settings, the wearing of protective clothing in warm or hot environments creates conditions of uncompensable heat stress where the body is unable to maintain a thermal steady state. Therefore, special precautions must be taken to minimise the threat of thermal injury. Assuming that manipulations known to reduce thermoregulatory strain during compensable heat stress would be equally effective in an uncompensable heat stress environment is not valid. In this review, we discuss the impact of hydration status, aerobic fitness, endurance training, heat acclimation, gender, menstrual cycle, oral contraceptive use, body composition and circadian rhythm on heat tolerance while wearing protective clothing in hot environments. The most effective countermeasure is ensuring that the individual is adequately hydrated both before and throughout the exercise or work session. In contrast, neither short term aerobic training or heat acclimation significantly improve exercise-heat tolerance during uncompensable heat stress. While short term aerobic training is relatively ineffective, long term improvements in physical fitness appear to provide some degree of protection. Individuals with higher proportions of body fat have a lower heat tolerance because of a reduced capacity to store heat. Women not using oral contraceptives are at a thermoregulatory disadvantage during the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. The use of oral contraceptives eliminates any differences in heat tolerance throughout the menstrual cycle but tolerance is reduced during the quasi-follicular phase compared with non-users. Diurnal variations in resting core temperature do not appear to influence tolerance to uncompensable heat stress.

The thermophysiology of uncompensable heat stress. Physiological manipulations and individual characteristics.

TIKUISIS, P., T. M. MCLELLAN, and G. SELKIRK. Perceptual versus physiological heat strain during exercise-heat stress. Med. Sci. Sports Exerc., Vol. 34, No. 9, pp. 1454–1461, 2002.PurposeThe physiological strain index (PSI) has been proposed as a universally applicable measure of exercise-heat strai

Tom M. McLellan

Papers

A review of caffeine's effects on cognitive, physical and occupational performance.

Heat acclimation, aerobic fitness, and hydration effects on tolerance during uncompensable heat stress

Exercise endurance 1, 3, and 6 h after caffeine ingestion in caffeine users and nonusers

The thermophysiology of uncompensable heat stress. Physiological manipulations and individual characteristics.

Perceptual versus physiological heat strain during exercise-heat stress.