ABSTRACT
After completing this chapter, you should be able to:
Explain human thermoregulation.
Describe the mechanisms of heat transfer.
Discuss the effects of exercise in hot environments.
Summarise the effects of exercising in cold environments.
Teach others about the stages in water immersion and the effects on physiological functioning.
Compare and contrast the physiological effects of hyperbaric and hypobaric environments on the physiological demands of exercise.
In this the final chapter of this textbook, we discuss an interesting and important aspect of applied physiology, that of the environment, and its effects on physiological functioning. There are a wide number of sports that take place in potentially dangerous environments; outdoor education is a curriculum area within physical education in many countries, and many people live near potentially dangerous hazards, such as rivers, lakes, and oceans. For physical educators who are involved in outdoor education programmes, or athletes and coaches involved in sports that take place in challenging conditions, an understanding of environmental threats to homeostasis is important to individual and group safety and health. This chapter provides a brief introduction to environmental physiology as it relates to involvement in sports that take place in a variety of environments. It begins with an introduction to thermoregulation, as this is an important aspect of homeostasis that can be threatened when exercising in some environments. Following this, we consider exercise in hot and cold environments, and the effects of water immersion, hypobaria, and hyperbaria on physiological functioning.