The Marathon des Sables (commonly abbreviated to MDS) is a famously hot race, to put it lightly. Providing the full context, it is a sweltering, multi-day drag through the Sahara desert, with an average distance of over a marathon per day fighting the rolling sand dunes and toughing out temperatures that have been known to reach 60 C.
Surviving these conditions is hard enough, but to run an ultra-marathon every day for 6 days takes the difficulty to another level. Considering also the nature of the world’s climate as it gets hotter every year, it is important for the aspiring athletes to seek pre-acclimation – getting the body ready for the heat before the start of Day 1. Evidence in the literature tells us the body CAN and WILL adapt to high temperatures, if exposed to them in a stressful environment and therefore we saw athletes coming through our doors looking to train in the heat, to force these adaptations upon themselves in advance of their flights to Morocco.
As experts in the field of harsh environments, be it high altitude or high temperatures, The Altitude Centre saw great success in helping those who wanted some heat preparation. Now that the race is over, Performance Specialist Steve Kerfoot runs the numbers:
24
Athletes who worked with us to build resistance to the heat, working in our chamber to become pre-acclimated to the hot and dry weather
148
Hours completed in the chamber, with our athletes hard at work pushing as much as their core body temperatures will let them!
1,036
Kilometres covered on our Noble Pro treadmills by our athletes.
236.8
Litres of sweat that dripped, dropped and ran down to the floor of the chamber, and was quickly mopped up by our team
ready for the next athlete in!
281.2
Litres of water consumed, with and without electrolytes, to return the body to its comfortable state, as well as easing the mental strain with a nice cold sip.
44.8
The maximum temperature reached by the chamber across all sessions conducted.
38.5
The target core temperature to achieve optimal heat stress and drive acclimation, while maintain the lowest risk of heat related injuries.
1
Incredible race and an amazing experience for all involved. Congratulations to them!