BACKGROUND INFORMATION:
Vinnie is a professional road cyclist participating in the 2020Giro d’Italia, a three-week race nearly 3,600 km in distance withsome stages exceeding altitudes of 2,700 m above sea level (i.e.,Stelvio Pass, Italy). As the newly hired head of thehigh-performance team, it is your responsibility to manage hispreparation for the event. You must demonstrate to your team afundamental understanding of physiology, the chronic adaptationsexpected from his training, and methods that could be implementedto improve the likelihood of success.
QUESTION:
As the event is soon approaching, parts of Hungary areexperiencing a heatwave. Indeed, temperatures may exceed 32°Celsius during the first leg of the race leaving Budapest.
A. Will the ambient temperature have any impact on Vinnie’sperformance?
B. In terms of thermoregulation, what physiological changes arelikely to occur during this leg of the race? Explain how thesechanges may influence performance.
