Dr Nybo states that heat acclimatisation of all players will ensure a fair playing field during FIFA World Cup 2022. Doha, Qatar (March 27, 2014) –During a recent conference, Aspetar revealed ground breaking scientific information about the thermal stress associated with athlete’s exercising and competing in the heat. Hosted by Aspetar, the two-day ‘Training & Competing in the Heat Conference’ attracted leading sport scientists, coaches and athletes from around the world. Together, they discussed the latest research and practical strategies on utilising heat training in preparation for major sporting events such as the FIFA World Cup 2022. The conference saw a total of 16 different speakers presenting 31 innovative research papers.

“The conference was a great opportunity for participants to share, collaborate and learn more about why athletes fatigue in the heat, and find practical solutions that will help optimise their performance,” said Dr Julien Periard, Research Scientist at Aspetar. “For athletes enduring hot temperatures in competitions such as the recent Australia Open and the upcoming FIFA World Cup 2022, this will require heat acclimatisation. Ensuring athletes get prior opportunity to train in hotter temperatures will ultimately help their performance”.

Reinforcing these findings, Prof. Lars Nybo, Doctor of Science and Professor at the Department of Nutrition Exercise and Sport Sciences at Copenhagen University, presented his research on football performance in the heat. The study which was conducted in Qatar in conjunction with Aspetar, found that despite environmental heat stress with temperatures at 40 degrees Celsius, athletes could still function at a high level, provided they had time to acclimatise. Through observing semi-professional athletes, he found that the overall the heat did not compromise their recovery or elevate markers of muscle damage, any more than when football is played in normal temperatures. Commenting on these findings in relation to Qatar hosting FIFA World Cup 2022, Lars Nybo said,

“If players were all given an opportunity to train and acclimatise to the high temperatures, similar to those in my study, then the playing field would be fair and there would not be any issues”.

The conference, held for the second time, ended with a roundtable discussion with experts collaborating on their general recommendations for exercising in heat and agreeing on the direction for future research. Commenting about the conference and its role in achieving Aspetar’s overall vision, Dr Khalifa Al Kuwari, Director General of Aspetar, said,

“We are proud to bring together leading experts from around the world and give them the opportunity to exchange information, increase communication and create long-lasting partnerships. We are confident that supporting their cutting-edge research will help our athletes achieve their full potential and fulfil our vision in becoming the leader is sports medicine by 2015”.

As part of Aspetar’s mandate to further sports medicine research, the hospital regularly hosts and attends international conferences, bringing together world-class practitioners in the field. Previous highlights include hosting a forum at the London 2012 Olympics and introducing an Altitude Training and Team Sports Conference.