The Impact of Rising Temperatures on Tactical Performance
With the summer of 2023 entering the record books as one of the warmest ever recorded, awareness around how rising temperatures affect performance and the risk of heat injury is at an all time high. Extreme weather and climate affects all individuals, but for those who are tasked to perform strenuous activities, such as those in sport, heavy industry, and tactical domains, the impact can be severe.
Whether it is adjusting schedules to try to avoid the hottest parts of the day, taking frequent breaks in the shade, or paying special attention to hydrating, the impact of extreme heat is well known, however the means of monitoring and keeping individuals safe has continued to evolve.
In the sporting domain, tracking exertion through heart rate has often been part of the human performance toolbox, with more recent advancements in wearables allowing for real-time monitoring during a game or practice. Increases in heart rate have been shown to correlate with individuals suffering from a heat injury, so this information becomes valuable not just to track an athlete’s level of exertion, but also their health.
These wearables have also made the transition into the industrial environment, with construction workers wearing consumer wearables that track heart rate and body temperature and alerts being directed towards supervisors if measurements fall outside of established safe zones.
The example from the industrial domain is particularly applicable to the tactical domain as well. While sport games and practices have been canceled or rescheduled due to extreme heat and heat exposure for sport athletes may be limited to a few hours, such luxuries may not exist in industrial and tactical spaces. Therefore ensuring that individuals are kept safe and intervening as quickly as possible is of utmost importance.
In addition to the products already on the market, new solutions have been developed and tested across the military to help alert warfighters when they are at risk of heat-related injury. One such example has also been tested in the sport domain with football players performing in hot and humid conditions.
With all that said, even the most advanced wearable can’t prevent someone from overheating. That’s why just as much care and attention is being given to solutions to help cool individuals down as well as proactive interventions to mitigate the risk to begin with.
A number of products exist on the market today, often targeting the palms of the hands, where it has been proven that the body releases heat at a much faster rate than most other parts of the body.
The Army has also done work with warfighters immersing their arms in ice water, as well as using frozen bed sheets. Although low tech, these solutions are proven to work to prevent damaging heat illness.
Finally, sweat-sensing solutions, such as TA-LB member Nix Biosensors, are used to help athletes of all domains to keep track of fluids and electrolytes and provide guidance on proper rehydration and refueling.
As extreme heat events become more common and harder to avoid, ensuring that warfighters as well as all types of athletes remain both safe and able to perform will continue to be a challenge in the years ahead. It is only through a proper mix of both proactive and reactive solutions that serious heat injury can be avoided.