Heat chamber helps Olympic and Paralympic athletes

Johnboy Smith was paralysed after he was shot by a farmer who mistook him for a poacher

The University of Kent is helping athletes heading to the Olympics and Paralympics with heat acclimation training.

An extreme environmental chamber at the university’s School of Sport and Exercise Science is preparing Paris-bound athletes to cope with potential high temperatures.

Prof John Dickinson has helped Paralympian Johnboy Smith, from Gravesend, to prepare for his wheelchair marathon in August.

“We’ve had Johnboy in the chamber two to three times a week to help prepare his body to compete in hot temperatures,” Prof Dickinson said.

“This is more important in wheelchair athletes due to their spinal cord injury making it harder to regulate body temperature.”

Smith was paralysed at age 16 after he was shot by a farmer who mistook him for a poacher.

The extreme environmental chamber is preparing Paris-bound athletes

The heat chamber creates environmental conditions to simulate the most extreme found across the world and can accommodate treadmills and rowing machines to help athletes prepare for competitions.

Prof Dickinson added: “Training in the heat stresses the body and switches on mechanisms, such as increasing blood volume and improving sweat efficiency, that help to improve performance and protect against heat stroke.

"During the World Cup in Qatar, many players were not used to the high temperatures and became ill after their first training sessions. By putting in the effort in the chamber at Canterbury, we hope this will be avoided in Paris."