The hidden risks of environmental ergogenics for Paralympic athletes
A new commentary in the British Journal of Sports Medicine highlights a critical gap in high-performance sport: the use of altitude/hypoxia and heat as ergogenic aids in Paralympic athletes is often based on evidence from Olympians, but may carry unique and overlooked health risks. The authors argue that an athlete’s specific impairment can fundamentally alter physiological responses to these environmental stressors, affecting core functions like oxygen delivery and thermoregulation. This creates a scenario where applying standard protocols could increase health issues rather than enhance performance.
Why it might matter to you:
This directly challenges the one-size-fits-all application of training science in high-performance environments, a principle crucial for optimizing athlete health and outcomes. For a professional working at the intersection of applied sport and research, it underscores the necessity of developing impairment-specific physiological models. This shift from replicating practices to creating tailored, evidence-based interventions could define the next frontier in ethical and effective performance optimization for diverse athletic populations.
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