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Purpose. We evaluated the effects of an eight-week aerobic exercise training program in previously sedentary individuals on whole-body heat balance. Whole-body evaporative (H˙E) and dry (H˙ D) heat loss as well as changes in body heat content (DeltaH b) were measured using simultaneous direct whole-body and indirect calorimetry. It was hypothesized that following the 8-week exercise training program, a more rapid increase in the rate of whole-body heat loss would occur during exercise resulting in a decrease in the change of body heat content by the end of exercise. It was further hypothesized that the rate of decay of whole-body heat loss during recovery would be greater following the exercise training program. Methods. Ten previously sedentary young adults (7 males, 3 females) underwent an 8-week exercise program. Participants exercised at a university based facilities 4-5 times per week, 30-90 minutes per session, supervised by personnel. Prior to, and after the 8-week training program, subjects underwent an incremental treadmill test to measure their maximal aerobic capacity (V˙O2max). On a subsequent day, they performed 60-90 minutes of cycling at a constant rate of heat production (∼450 W) followed by 60 minutes of recovery, in a calorimeter at 30°C and 15% relative humidity. Core temperature [esophageal; (Tes), rectal (Tre ) and aural canal (Tau)], mean skin temperature, skin blood flow (SkBF), local sweat rate (LSR), mean arterial pressure (MAP), and heart rate (HR) were measure at baseline and at 2 min, 5 min, 8 min, 12 min, 15 min, 30 min, 45 min, 60 min, and 90 min intervals for the exercise and post-exercise recovery periods. Results. No significant difference in the rate of total heat loss (H˙L=H˙E+H˙D) was observed during exercise. As a result, the average DeltaHb was similar for the pre- (+441+/-89 kJ) and post-training (+430+/-118 kJ) 60-min exercise bout (p=0.385). Although the absolute changes in Tes (p=0.060), Tre (p5≤0.05) and Tau (p≤0.05) were lower at rest post-training, no differences in the relative change from baseline was measured during exercise. Local sweat rate and SkBF were elevated during exercise however the relative changes from baseline were similar pre- to post-training. A 12% increase in V˙O2max was measured after the 8-week training program (p≤0.05). This was paralleled by a decrease in heart rate throughout exercise (p=0.004). Conclusion. Although physical training resulted in improvements in cardiorespiratory function as evidenced by increases in V˙O2max and reduced HR response during exercise, these adaptations did not result in an improvement in the capacity for heat dissipation during exercise.

This research project attempted to identify and describe the essence of the experience of being an out lesbian in elite coaching. Through the use of a feminist epistemology, a phenomenological methodology, and in-depth interviews with eight high performance coaches who identify as lesbian, it was possible to identify and describe the essence of their experiences being out lesbians in elite coaching. The data were analyzed using an inductive phenomenological analysis procedure. The six themes that emerged from the data were: sexism, lesbophobia, the old boys' club, acknowledgement and positive reinforcement, the supportive feminist network, and the nature of the job. Sport was identified as a domain rife with sexism, lesbophobia, and dominated by the old boys' club all of which negatively impacted the lesbian coaches' experiences and career advancement. However, with positive reinforcement of their lesbian identity and the supportive feminist network, the participants nevertheless experienced great personal and professional success.

Recent studies of cold exposure have focused on the nutritional status of shivering individuals, studying the importance of carbohydrate stores for shivering muscles. These studies have illustrated that during moderate cold stress, muscle glycogen is the main substrate for heat production. Consequently, it is thought that shivering will cease and hypothermia will set in when muscle glycogen stores gets compromised or exhausted. In spite of this, no studies to date have investigated the effects glucose ingestion on fuel selection during cold exposure. Using a combination of indirect calorimetry and isotopic methods, the aims of this thesis were to determine the effects of glucose ingestion on whole body heat production and oxidative fuel selection to (1) confirm that heat production and core temperature will not change with glucose feedings during shivering, (2) quantify the effects of glucose feedings on whole body fuel selection, (3) quantify the effects of glucose feedings on the oxidation of CHO stores (muscle glycogen), and (4) quantify the oxidation of the ingested exogenous glucose. Six healthy men were exposed to cold for 120 min (liquid conditioned suit perfused with 4°C water) on three randomized occasions during which 500ml of a glucose solution was ingested to supply: 0.04 g·min-1 (C), 0.4 g·min-1 (Lo) or 0.8 g·min-1 (Hi) of glucose. We observed that (1) glucose ingestion has no effects on whole body thermal response. (2) Absolute and relative CHO and lipids oxidation rates did not differ significantly between conditions. (3) Muscle glycogen oxidation was not affected by glucose ingestion, but hepatic glucose production decreased with 0.8 g·min-1 of glucose ingestion. (4) The maximal rate of exogenous glucose oxidation observed was 0.2 g·min-1. No difference was seen between exogenous glucose oxidation rate during the Lo and Hi conditions. The result of this thesis provides the first estimates of exogenous glucose oxidation rate in the cold and quantifies the effects of glucose ingestion on whole-body energy demands. This information may contribute to improve survival strategies for human exposed to cold environments.

Although existing literature shows that the ability to focus is among the most important mental skills necessary for optimal performance (Krane & Williams, 2006; Orlick, 2008; Orlick & Partington, 1988), little is known about the focusing techniques that elite marathon runners apply to perform at an optimal level. In-depth, semi-structured interviews conducted with 10 elite international marathon runners examined what elite marathon runners focus on when they perform their best, and the techniques they use to refocus. Essential elements of focus were being positive, in the moment, having body awareness, and a progressively increasing intensity of focus. Elite marathon runners refocused through distractions by accepting control and lack of control, turning negatives into positives, and replacing the distraction with something else. This knowledge can potentially be applied to other athletes, thus helping them enhance their focus and their subsequent performances.

Spatial navigation is a common yet very important activity in everyday life. Errors in navigation, which usually involve miscalculations of distance and direction, derive from a variety of deficits, including neurological diseases, injuries, as well as aging. In a navigation task designed to assess the ability to reach a target location without vision, young and older adults showed statistically significant age differences in dual-task costs. It was also shown that dual-task costs vary as a function of task condition. Specifically, the navigation measures (traveled distance, angular deviation and body rotation) were significantly larger in older than young adults. There was no significant effect of task on those measures, with the exception of traveled distance. Conversely, the effect of age on reaction times was non-significant, but there was a main effect of condition on reaction time, with reaction times being significantly longer during the dual-task condition than during the sitting condition.

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