A specialist heat chamber at the University of Chichester has been featured in a new documentary following an athlete’s preparations for one of the world’s most demanding endurance races.
A specialist heat chamber at the University of Chichester has been featured in a new documentary following an athlete’s preparations for one of the world’s most demanding endurance races.
BADWATER 135: The Long Way Round, made by award-winning filmmaker Max McGee, follows ultrarunner David Bone as he trains for the 135-mile Badwater race through California’s Death Valley. The event, which includes extreme desert temperatures and steep climbs, has been described by organisers as the world’s toughest foot race.
As part of his preparations, David trained inside the environmental chamber at the University’s Sport Performance and Rehabilitation Unit. The facility allows athletes to exercise in carefully controlled conditions, helping their bodies become accustomed to competing in intense heat before travelling overseas. During the session featured in the film, the chamber was set to 41 degrees Celsius. University sports scientists supervised David while his internal body temperature was raised above 38.5 degrees — a process designed to trigger changes which can help the body cope more effectively with hot conditions. The team also measured how much sweat and sodium he lost during an hour of running. That information can be used to help an athlete calculate how much fluid and electrolytes they may need during a race.
Andy Briggs, a physiology laboratory technician and PhD student at the University, said working with athletes such as David also gave staff and students an opportunity to support their training for extraordinary challenges.
The documentary also features local runner Laura Watts, who has used the chamber while preparing for Badwater. The University says she is the only British woman to have completed the race more than twice.
The chamber can recreate temperatures ranging from minus 20 to 50 degrees Celsius, different levels of humidity and reduced-oxygen conditions similar to those found at high altitude. It has also recently been used to support runners preparing for the Marathon des Sables, a multi-stage endurance race across the Sahara Desert.
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