Ahead of the 2024 Paris Olympics, Olympians and climate change experts are warning that the ongoing heat wave poses a risk to the health of athletes participating in the event.

Elaborating on the health risks, experts released a report titled “Rings of Fire”, which highlighted challenges faced by players such as extreme heat, air pollution, food and water insecurity, and lack of shade amid rising temperatures.

He highlighted the serious impact of climate change on sports, putting athletes “at a competitive disadvantage, disrupting their sleep and forcing them to train early in the morning to avoid the worst temperatures of the day.”

As the Tokyo Olympics were billed as the “hottest in history”, with temperatures exceeding 34°C and humidity reaching almost 70%, experts are trying to avoid last time’s scenarios at the upcoming Paris 2024 Olympics, where competitors vomited and fainted at finish lines, and wheelchairs were used to transport athletes from sunburnt arenas.

Health Risks for Athletes

In this programme, Mike Tipton, Associate Professor of Environmental Physiology at the University of Portsmouth, explained some of the warning signs of a heatwave, so that athletes can get immediate medical attention.

heat cramps

These usually occur in muscles that are being exercised, because of dehydration, changes in electrolyte concentrations, and low energy reserves.

heat exhaustion

The most common form of heat illness, the inability to continue exercising in the heat, is usually seen in people who are not acclimatized. Warning signs of heat exhaustion include weakness, pale and cold skin, fatigue, thirst, and excessive sweating.

heat stroke

It is a medical emergency caused by failure of the thermoregulatory system when the body temperature exceeds 40.5 ° C. Confusion, hot and dry skin, strong and rapid pulse are warning signs.

Other symptoms include feeling faint or dizzy, sweating, chills or goosebumps, and nausea.

Recommendations

Experts recommend smart scheduling. They said, “Sports officials should take extreme heat into account when scheduling events, avoid the hottest parts of the day for open sports, and reschedule events if necessary.”

Limiting exposure to heat and taking water breaks during training and competition are positive steps.

But, as events involving extreme heat become more common, organisers need to invest more in the safety of competitors, fans, support staff, workers and volunteers.

Experts urged athletes to speak out about the dangers of heat and the environment, as many do not speak out “for fear of being called weak or accused of hypocrisy for participating in competitions”.

“To bring about progress this needs to change, with athletes empowered to speak out about their experience of the current and future impacts of climate change,” they wrote.

Here are five recommendations:

• Smart scheduling to avoid extreme heat.
• Keeping athletes and fans safe with improved rehydration and cooling plans.
• Empowering athletes to speak out on climate change.
• Promote collaboration between sports bodies and athletes on climate awareness campaigns.
• Reevaluating fossil fuel sponsorship in sport.

This year the Olympics will be held in Paris from July 26 to August 11.