The temperature at the 2021 Tokyo Summer Olympics approached 95°F, surpassing previous record highs at Athens and Rio. The conditions were so brutal that many athletes dropped out, shattering lifelong dreams so they could stay safe.
But the Australian racewalking team was ready for the inferno. Before the Games, they completed 7 weeks of heat acclimation training, diligently exercising in heated rooms to prepare.
It worked. Although they didn’t take home any medals, one member of the Australian team placed 8th in the 50k—a personal record—and another placed 6th in the 20k—nearly another personal record. Adapting to steamy conditions helped the Australians perform on the day it mattered most, whereas many unadapted competitors had to call it quits.
We’ve learned a ton from scientific studies of athletes, military personnel, and outdoor workers who have undergone heat acclimation training. In this article, I’ll summarize my learnings from the research that you can apply to your life, even if you’re not planning on walking 50 kilometers as quickly as humanly possible this summer.
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