Faculty of Sport & Health Sciences Seminar Series Joshua Guy, University of St Mark & St John/James Cook University Tuesday 26th May at 10am Title: Exercise in hot environments: Athlete preparation, performance, and the implications of inflammation. Summary: Extreme environmental conditions present athletes with diverse challenges; however, not all sporting events are limited by thermoregulatory parameters. The classical thermoregulatory model of heat stress has been well characterized, as has a wide range of practical strategies largely centred on cooling and heat-acclimation training. As elite athlete performance during endurance events held in hot conditions is compromised, it is likely that endurance athlete would benefit from heat acclimation training. However, it is important to address both the performance aspects associated with heat acclimation training, as well as the complex interplay between hyperthermia, the coagulation cascade, and the systemic inflammatory response that occurs after transient damage to the gastrointestinal tract. Practical strategies that target both thermoregulatory and inflammatory causes of heat stress include precooling; heat acclimation training; nutritional countermeasures including hydration, energy replacement, and probiotic supplementation; pacing strategies during events; and post-event cooling measures. As high-performance athletes are often timepoor, shorter duration heat acclimation protocols may be of practical preference for endurance athletes where satisfactory outcomes can be achieved. Although novel recovery techniques applied between subsequent heat exposures may accelerate adaptation and reduce inflammation. Bio: Joshua Guy completed a bachelor of Sport and Exercise Science (Hons 1) at James Cook University (Cairns, Australia) in 2012. Since undertaking his PhD his research has focused on heat training programmes designed to best prepare athletes for competition in hot and humid environments, as well as the inflammatory response associated with this. He has recently joined St Mark and St John to work as a Graduate Research Assistant as well as complete the final study of his PhD.