Dr Bryna Chrismas: Optimising Female Performance

So what did you think about Stockholm and the heat? Because we were in the warm-up area and I didn't even start the warm-up and we were just dripping in sweat.

What was the thoughts around that weekend? I know they were talking about doing temperature-controlled venues and trying to keep the temperature the same everywhere, especially for things like the sled lanes to make sure there's humidity.

Was there any talk wider than just the athletes saying we were?

yeah yeah definitely and I guess it's not just about the athletes as well and we think like I was worried about Faisal's core temperature like the amount you know the other MCs the judges they're there for a lot longer often they do like eight hours

don't they yeah

And, you know, running around, that energy, maybe a little bit dehydrated because you don't want to take breaks because, you know, needing to go to the bathroom.

You've got all of the judges, you've got the volunteers, you've got the spectators.

And we see across, you know, numerous different sports, whether it's, you know, tennis.

or golf that or even soccer and like the FIFA cooling breaks it's going on at the moment that it's about everybody that's involved and as you said like high rocks has been done outdoor venues doesn't it so if it's like a Berlin or a New York where you are going to go outside that's obviously more difficult to control but we can learn from and look at other sports And lots of other sports have like cutoffs or something we call the wet bulb globe temperature.

So it was actually cooler outside the venue in Stockholm than it was inside, right? Because it's not just about temperature.

So, you know, obviously people look at their phones and their apps and they go, oh, it's really hot.

I'm not going to exercise outside today.

And then they might go to an indoor, very sweaty gym outside.

that's got no AC, that doesn't have any windows, and you're surrounded by 50 other people and lots of lights and other equipment.

So that's why we need to take another three things into account, which is airflow, radiation from the sun, but also can come from equipment, floors, other people.

And the humidity as well, because as you said, the problem is once you get to that point where there's too much water in the air around you, the sweat has nowhere to go.

And as humans, we're super inefficient.

So whenever we do any exercise and we start to work and produce energy, 70% to 80% of that is just heat.

We just produce heat.

We're really hot people.

Only 20% to 30% goes into the energy.

So our body goes, okay, I need to maintain my core temperature at about 37.5. And the best way to do that is to sweat.

So it sends blood to the skin, not to your muscles, which makes the exercise much harder.

So it's harder to get a personal best.

So your performance is impaired.