Heat stress and acute hypoxic exposure are known to negatively influence endurance performance during exercise (Bergeson, 2014; Nielsen, Hales, Strange, Christensen, Warberg & Saltin, 1993; Santos-Concejero, Tucker, Myburgh, Essen-Gustavsson & Kohn, 2014). One of the potential pathways mediating the decrease in performance is a change in cerebrocortical activity resulting from the impact of such extreme environments.
Research suggests that hyperthermia may lessen arousal (Nielsen, Hyldig, Bidstrup, González-Alonso & Christofferson, 2001) while hypoxia may alter neuronal transmissions (Peña & Ramirez, 2005). It is yet to be determined how hyperthermia and hypoxia influence the cerebrocortical activity during self-paced exercise. Our team therefore aim to explore the exact nature of the cerebrocortical response under normal (cool), hot, and hypoxic environments during self-paced exercise.