Hull turned into a hot-spot for athletes working up a sweat for Chinese games

The Great Britain women’s soccer side has teamed up with Hull University to use a state-of-the-art environmental chamber to recreate the conditions they will face in next week’s tournament

Experts from the university’s department of Sport, Health and Exercise Science will be working with the players before they travel out for their opening match on Thursday August 11.

The university’s chamber is capable of simulating extreme environments and is one of just a handful in the UK. It can be set to more than 50 degrees and replicate altitude and humidity.

As well as training athletes, the facility allows academics to research how exercise in extreme conditions affects the body. The team is being given access to the chamber over the course of four sessions to help them acclimatise to the conditions they will face in China. The tournament is taking place in the city of Shenzhen, where the players can expect to encounter minimum temperatures of 36C and 82 per cent humidity.

The players will train within the chamber on exercise bikes, with sport scientists from the university monitoring their condition. By training in the simulated environment, the players will be better prepared for the conditions when they arrive in the Far East.

Dr Ric Lovell, lecturer in sports physiology, said: “Even though they are with us for a short period of time we should be able to see a difference in their fitness. Over the course of the sessions we’ll be able to see lower heart rate responses and lower body temperatures. There is a plethora of research showing that the body can adapt to the extreme conditions in a relatively short space of time. The chamber is a unique facility for us and it’s great that we can help out. Some of these girls play in the women’s Super League and are among the best players in the country. The women’s game is getting bigger all the time, there’s a lot of interest in the sport and hopefully we can play a part in bringing success to our student team.”

Ellie Maybury, sports scientist for the GB women’s team, said: “This is a great opportunity for the players to gain some experience of exercising in these conditions and we’re pleased to have the support of Hull University.”