Preparing Alberto Salazar for the Heat of the 1984 Olympic Marathon

摘要

Observations were made on American marathon record holder Alberto Salazar during a climatic chamber trial, heat acclimatization training, and the 1984 Olympic Marathon. Blood samples and rectal temperature data showed that hormonal and thermoregulatory mechanisms were normal. However, measurements of a very high sweat rate (2.79 liter/hr and 3.06 liter/hr) indicated that dehydration was a potentially serious problem. In fact, Salazar lost 5.43 kg (-8.1 percent) during the Olympic marathon, in 134.3 minutes of running. Although Salazar's decreased rectal temperature was desireable, his increased sweat rate was an unnecessary physiological adaptation to training in the heat.