INTRODUCTION: Summer jump training in snowboarding in Japan takes place in a hot environment. Additionally, athletes wear long sleeves, long pants, boots, gloves, and helmets during summer training, which results in higher heat stress compared to other sports. Exercise in hot environments leads to an excessive increase in core body temperature, which can impair muscle strength, skill performance, and decision-making speed [1]. These factors pose a major problem in summer training to improve jumping skills. Therefore, this study aims to evaluate the physiological responses during summer jump training and provide insights into appropriate load management and cooling strategies. METHODS: The participants were 16 snowboard athletes from Japan in Slopestyle and Big Air. Measurements were taken during summer training at three sites in Japan (Tamb, 29.6 ± 3.8°C; %rh, 66.7 ± 10.1%; and WBGT, 26.5 ± 2.0°C). Physiological measurements during training included heart rate (HR), core body temperature (Tcore), skin temperature, and body weight. From skin temperature, estimated muscle temperature was calculated, and dehydration rate was calculated from body weight. RESULTS: The mean maximum Tcore during exercise increased to 38.61±0.53°C, with a mean maximum HR of 158 ±14 bpm. There was a significant positive correlation between maximum HR and Tcore (r = 0.600, p = 0.008), whereas there was no correlation between maximal Tcore and environmental temperature. The mean HR during training was 115±14 bpm, and the mean Tcore was 38.01 ± 0.46°C. Maximum estimated muscle temperature increased to 37.0 ± 0.9°C, with a mean of 34.71±1.53°C. The mean dehydration rate was 0.60 ± 0.87%. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: Core body temperature exceeded 38.5°C, a threshold at which performance is decline [2]. Although the increase in Tcore depends on the individual, cooling strategies could be effective in maintaining performance. While there was a significant correlation between Tcore and HR, there was no association between environmental Tcore and temperature. This indicated that the increase in Tcore in snowboard jump training was related to exercise intensity rather than environmental temperature.
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