Little is known about the physiological and perceptual responses of elite rugby sevens athletes to the heat stress expected at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Methods: Seven elite male rugby sevens athletes completed a heat response test (HRT) consisting of a 15-min warm up, simulated sevens game and 1.2 km time trial (TT) on a treadmill in ambient (AMB; 20 °C, 50% rH) and Tokyo (HOT; 35 °C, 80% rH) conditions. Tympanic temperature (TTymp), heart rate (HR), rate of perceived exertion (RPE), thermal sensation (TS), thermal comfort (TC) and thirst were measured at baseline, half time, and pre-TT. Results: TTymp and HR during HOT were significantly greater at half-time (1.4 ± 0.7 °C; 19 ± 15 bpm) and pre-TT (1.6 ± 0.7 °C; 25 ± 16 bpm) compared to AMB (all mean ± 95% CI; p<0.05). TTymp and HR were not different at baseline. TS, TC and RPE during HOT were greater at all timepoints (all ES > 1.2), whereas thirst was only greater pre-TT (ES = 1.2). Mean (± SD) time to complete the TT was greater in HOT (5.58 ± 0.83 min) compared to AMB (4.43 ± 0.27 min; ES = 1.8). Take Home Message: Simulated environmental conditions expected during the 2020 Tokyo Olympics can impact physiological, perceptual and performance markers during a rugby sevens specific HRT.
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