Heating Up: The Good, Bad, and Ugly of Passive Heating in Sports

Have you ever wondered how athletes use heat to boost their performance or recovery? Passive heating, like sitting in a sauna or wearing a heat pack, can cause body temperature, sweat rate, blood flow, heart rate, and plasma volume to rise. These changes can help athletes in different ways, such as increasing muscle power, losing weight quickly, adapting to heat, or recovering faster. But it's not all good news. Using heat the wrong way can make exercising in hot weather tougher, affect performance, make you feel tired, or even lead to serious issues.So, athletes, coaches, and support staff need to think carefully before using passive heating. This review looks at how different types and amounts of passive heating affect the body and how it can help or hurt athletes in various sports. Understanding these effects can help athletes and their teams use passive heating safely and effectively.