Opportunities to compete in the Para-Olympics, advances in medical treatment and therapies for functional recovery of the disabled, and the recognition that physical activity is beneficial for the health of everyone, abled or disabled, have contributed to increased participation of disabled individuals in regular physical exercise. Like able-bodied athletes, disabled athletes face limitations to performance-fatigue, nutrition and fluid needs, and the possibility of heat exhaustion. In this report, we will discuss thermoregulation and cardiovascular function in the disabled athlete. We will make several recommendations to reduce the chance of heat illness and to delay fatigue in the disabled athlete.\r\n
Maria T.E. Hopman, Ph.D., Rob A. Binkhorst, Ph.D.
July 2006
Topics:
Athlete Health