By Dr Jessica Mee
On the 5th of August, the Female Heat Lab had the pleasure of visiting the Great Britain Rowing Team women’s squad during their training as they prepare for the 2025 World Rowing Championships in the warmer climates of Shanghai. The visit marked an exciting step forward in applying research-informed strategies to elite performance settings.
Dr. Jessica Mee, an expert in female and environmental physiology, led the visit with the aim of advising coaches and athletes on female-specific responses to heat. Her work provided valuable context around the physiological demands faced by female athletes training and competing in warmer climates.
As part of the trip, Jessica delivered a well-received presentation to the coaching team, sharing insights on the latest research and encouraging greater awareness of how heat can impact female athletes. The session sparked thoughtful discussion and was instrumental in shaping a more informed approach to managing heat exposure in training environments.
“It was fantastic to see such a high level of engagement from the coaching staff,” Jessica commented. “Their openness to the science and willingness to consider new perspectives was incredibly positive.”
“It was such a rewarding experience,” Olivia said. “Watching the athletes train and seeing how they responded to the conditions gave me a much deeper appreciation for the applied side of our research.”
Jessica was joined by two of her research associates, Olivia and Emma, who found the experience of working within an elite performance environment both insightful and inspiring.
Emma added: “I really valued getting involved in this kind of fieldwork. Being able to contribute and observe in a high-performance setting has been incredibly motivating.”
Dr. Gareth Turner, Performance Science Lead at British Rowing, said, “We have been consulting with Jessica for about 18 months now on various cooling and heat acclimation strategies, specifically for female athletes. The knowledge and expertise of Jessica and her team have enabled us to better prepare the women’s squad for the challenging environment in Shanghai”
The visit not only strengthened the collaborative relationship between the research team and British Rowing but also highlighted the importance of continued dialogue between science and sport in supporting athlete health and performance.