1. Introduction
HT
HEAT, SECONDARY
Background: Athletes training in heat experience physiological and perceptual symptoms that risk their safety and performance without adaptation. Purpose: We examined the changes in environmental symptoms, assessed with the Environmental Symptoms Questionnaire (ESQ), during heat acclimatization (HAz), heat acclimation (HA), and intermittent heat training (HT). Methods: Twenty-seven participants (mean ± standard deviation [M ± SD], age of 35 ± 12 y, VOEnvironmental conditions, such as high heat and humidity, place a considerable amount of strain on athletes, requiring them to adapt to various circumstances to maintain their safety and to achieve optimal performance [Researchers have found that the symptoms of heat strain, measured using the ESQ and TS, are exacerbated significantly following exercise in the heat [Athletes can best prepare their bodies and enhance their ability to adapt to extreme environmental conditions, such as high ambient temperature, through processes such as heat acclimatization (HAz) and heat acclimation (HA) [Through previous research, it has been found that ESQ symptoms are exacerbated during the initial days of an HA protocol and are improved during the following days [No previous research has investigated the effects of intermittent heat training (HT) or of combined acclimatization and acclimation on ESQ symptoms. Therefore, the primary purpose of this study was to investigate the changes in ESQ symptoms over the course of Haz, HA, and HT. We hypothesized that, if an individual’s perceptions, as measured by the ESQ, accurately reflected the progression of their physiological adaptations independent of breaks in training and of the nature of environmental exposure (i.e., laboratory vs. natural), we would observe a higher ESQ score post-trial versus pre-trial regardless of the intervention and that post-trial symptoms would incrementally decrease over the course of HAz, HA, and HT, respectively. A secondary aim of this study was to assess the relationships between ESQ symptoms and TS, HR, and T