ArticlePloS one2012
Physiological responses and physical performance during football in the heat.
Article in PloS one, 2012. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 95 papers, 5 of them syntheses that pooled it.
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Who cites it
95 citing papers in PubMed, 5 syntheses or guidelines pooled it.
- Effects of Precooling on Endurance Exercise Performance in the Heat: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials.Nutrients · 2024Pooled it
- Core Body Temperatures in Intermittent Sports: A Systematic Review.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2023Pooled it
- The Acute Demands of Repeated-Sprint Training on Physiological, Neuromuscular, Perceptual and Performance Outcomes in Team Sport Athletes: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2023Pooled it
- Acute and Residual Soccer Match-Related Fatigue: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2018Pooled it
- Association Between Exercise-Induced Hyperthermia and Intestinal Permeability: A Systematic Review.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2017Pooled it
- Training in hot water immersion improved exercise performance in hot and humid conditions in recreational athletes - a randomized controlled trial.European journal of applied physiology · 2026Trial
- Trial
- Trial
- Effects of Combined Heat and Hypoxic Training on the Physiological Responses During Submaximal Interval Exercise in Untrained Men.Journal of functional morphology and kinesiology · 2026Article
- The hidden heat penalty of speeding up football.Experimental physiology · 2026Article
- The 2026 Men's FIFA Football World Cup: Evidence-Based Guidelines to Protect Player Health and Performance from Environmental Challenges.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2026Review
- Muscle metabolic responses to a 5v5 football game in trained female football players.European journal of applied physiology · 2026Article
- Effects of Pre-cooling and Cooling Breaks on Thermoregulatory, Physiological and Match Running Responses During Football in Moderate and Hot Temperatures.Sports medicine (Auckland, N.Z.) · 2026Article
- Physical performance in elite male soccer under extreme heat: A case study of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup.Temperature (Austin, Tex.) · 2026Article
- Technical and tactical performance of major Asian professional football leagues: a comparative analysis of 14,115 matches across six seasons.Biology of sport · 2026Article
- Can heat stress affect the psychophysiological responses and locomotor demands of young soccer players during small-sided soccer games?PloS one · 2026Article
- Fluid balance and electrolyte losses in collegiate male soccer players in practice and game under different environments.Scientific reports · 2025Article
- From Copenhagen chill to desert heat thrill.Experimental physiology · 2025Article
- Physical and Physiological Demands of Official Beach Soccer Match-Play in Relation to Environmental Temperature.Sports (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025Article
- Extreme heat risk and the potential implications for the scheduling of football matches at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.International journal of biometeorology · 2025Article
35 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
4 authors.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
purposeTo examine the impact of hot ambient conditions on physical performance and physiological responses during football match-play.
methodsTwo experimental games were completed in temperate (∼ 21°C; CON) and hot ambient conditions (∼ 43°C; HOT). Physical performance was assessed by match analysis in 17 male elite players during the games and a repeated sprint test was conducted after the two game trials. Core and muscle temperature were measured and blood samples were obtained, before and after the games.
resultsMuscle and core temperatures were ∼ 1°C higher (P<0.05) in HOT (40.3 ± 0.1 and 39.5 ± 0.1°C, respectively) compared to CON (39.2 ± 0.1 and 38.3 ± 0.1°C). Average heart rate, plasma lactate concentration, body weight loss as well as post-game sprint performance were similar between the two conditions. Total game distance declined (P<0.05) by 7% and high intensity running (>14 km ⋅ h(-1)) by 26% in HOT compared to CON), but peak sprint speed was 4% higher (P<0.05) in HOT than in CON, while there were no differences in the quantity or length of sprints (>24 km ⋅ h(-1)) between CON and HOT. In HOT, success rates for passes and crosses were 8 and 9% higher (P<0.05), respectively, compared to CON. Delta increase in core temperature and absolute core temperature in HOT were correlated to total game distance in the heat (r = 0.85 and r = 0.53, respectively; P<0.05), whereas, total and high intensity distance deficit between CON and HOT were not correlated to absolute or delta changes in muscle or core temperature.
conclusionTotal game distance and especially high intensity running were lower during a football game in the heat, but these changes were not directly related to the absolute or relative changes in core or muscle temperature. However, peak sprinting speed and execution of successful passes and crosses were improved in the HOT condition.
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