However the PMV values in the effort period are
higher than the PMV values of the restore period.
Generally it is possible to observe as the maximum
values of the PET and PMV indices correspond to a
“caution – extreme caution” alert description
recommended for sporting activity for WBGT.
The same recommendations show that, in these
conditions, it is important to increase the exercise-
to-rest ratio as well as to decrease the intensity and
the total duration of activity. In the same time it is
very important that the athletes are well acclimatized
and that they prepare a correct plan and strategy for
nutrition and hydration (pre-event, event, post-
event).
4 CONCLUSIONS
The analysis of the thermal comfort of the athletes
during the next Rio de Janeiro Olympic Games,
made with an innovative methodology, is presented
in this research. The calculations have been carried
out for the men's category of the cycling sport. The
meteorological data of a 20-year long period have
been collected for two monitoring stations that are
representative for the race areas (Time Trial and
Road Race). The data of the months of August have
been analyzed in order to create the wind roses and
the typical days of the main variables. Two thermal
comfort indices (PET and PMV) have then been
calculated considering also the clothing type and the
power generated during the exercise. They have
been determined for the time period 09-16 LT and
for the resting and effort phases of both races.
It is important to note how the presented
methodology can be generalized to other sport as
well as to other venues. In fact the presented
RayMan model takes into account the personal data
about the subject (weight, height, age and sex) as
well as the internal heat production (W)
consequential to her/his physical activity.
Then it will be possible to change these reference
data to adapt the methodology and the model to the
analysed sport.
Finally, in the future, it will be interesting to
quantify the thermal comfort of the athletes
measuring directly the skin’s temperature and the
skin’s humidity of the athletes (Pezzoli et al., 2012).
This innovation in the research will help to quantify
correctly the thermal comfort and to improve the
alert description and the recommended sporting
activity (Table 2).
For these reasons, the procedure described in this
study gives useful information about the most
suitable clothing type for affording the race. The
results are also useful for defining pre, during and
post-race nutrition and hydration plans.
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