What happens when an athlete’s core temperature hits triple digits? How do we cool the body safely and effectively?
These questions, and more, were answered when Brendon McDermott, an associate professor in the Department of Health, Human Performance, and Recreation, appeared in an episode of Kawasaki’s “Science of SuperMotocross” to discuss how heat and humidity impact the sport’s athletes during races.
McDermott is a leading researcher in thermoregulation and the director of the college’s Heat & Hydration Optimization (H2O) Lab.
“Helping with things like this combines passions of mine: exercise performance and athlete safety,” he said. “These two things are often in conflict because if we push too hard, we sacrifice safety. There needs to be a balance, so this was an opportunity to offer insight into athlete preparation that can maximize safety and performance simultaneously.”
A certified athletic trainer, McDermott has taught athletic training and exercise science courses for nearly 25 years. After earning a master’s in kinesiology at Indiana, he earned a Ph.D. in exercise science at the University of Connecticut. Before joining the U of A in 2012, he was a faculty member at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. He’s on the Journal of Athletic Training and Nutrients editorial boards, is a Fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine, and received the 2022 Outstanding Service Award from the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (NATA).
You can watch McDermott’s entire episode by clicking here.
