Date of Completion

5-10-2020

Embargo Period

4-30-2020

Advisors

Douglas Casa, Robert Huggins, Rebecca Stearns

Field of Study

Kinesiology

Degree

Master of Science

Open Access

Open Access

Abstract

The primary aim of this study is to determine if heat acclimation (HA)/acclimatization (HAz) improves VO2max. A secondary aim of this study is to examine whether or not any changes in VO2maxoccur during intermittent exercise heat exposures (HAM). Twenty-seven male endurance runners (mean±SD: age: 36±12 years, nude body mass: 73.03±8.97 kg, height: 178.81±6.39 cm, VO2max: 57.48±7.03 ml×kg-1×min-1) performed five VO2maxtests at various time points (baseline, test 1; post-HAz, test2; post-HA, test 3; 4 weeks of HAM, test4; 8 weeks of HAM, test5). Participants completed a summer training regimen after test 1. After summer training, each participant completed a 5-day HA protocol. Participants were randomly assigned to one of three groups for the HAM, once a week (n=9), twice a week (n=10), or not at all/control (n=8). Differences in VO2max, vVO2, and max HR for tests 1-3 were analyzed using one-way ANOVAs while tests 3-test 5 were analyzed using repeated measure ANOVAs with Bonferroni corrections post-hoc. Statistical significance was defined as p2maxdata between any of the VO2maxtests 1-3 (mean±SD: 57.92±6.8, 59.65±8.2, 59.49±7.2 ml×kg-1×min-1, p=0.363). There were no significant group or time effects for tests 3-5 (p=0.671), therefore no differences were found between experimental groups. There were significant differences in maximal heart rate (HR) between test 1-3 (mean± SD: 180 11bpm, 177± 10bpm, 175± 10bpm, p=0.006). There were significant differences in HR between test 1 and test 3 (mean± SD: 180± 11bpm vs. 175± 10bpm, p2max) following HA.

Major Advisor

Douglas Casa

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