Abertay sports scientists offer specialist training pod for athletes.

Heat and humidity that awaits rugby stars recreated in Dundee

A Tayside university has hit on a strange way to attract new students – throw them into the same gruelling conditions Scotland’s rugby team will face in the World Cup.

Sports scientists at Abertay University have built a high-tech training tent that recreates the 33 celsius, 70% humidity environment the boys in navy blue will face when the tournament kicks off in Japan this weekend.

The Abertay team hopes to show how the university prepares its own athletes and researches the effect of difficult environments on sports stars.

Dr John Babraj, a lecturer in exercise physiology, said: “It is an environmental tent where we can control completely the temperature, humidity and altitude of the athlete.

“You sweat, but there’s no evaporation as the air is already saturated with water.

“You then sweat more and your core temperature rises.

“This means you lose more fluid and that you’re going to dehydrate and get cramp.

“You’ll also fatigue.

“This allows us to look at how the body responds and whether they can sustain performance or not.”

The ninth rugby World Cup will kick off in Tokyo today when hosts Japan take on Russia.

It is the first time a country in Asia has hosted the tournament and much has been made of the effect of the heat and humidity, especially on the players from colder climes.

Dr Babraj said the tent has allowed them to prepare athletes to compete in much the same way as the Scotland team will have got ready to take on group opponents Japan, Russia, Ireland and Samoa.

“The first game for the Scottish team is in Yokohama. The average temperature is 30 degrees with 70% humidity. So we’ve recreated that in the tent with sprints on a bike that mimic rugby game play.

“Outside of actually going to and training in a country, the tent is the best way to help an athlete acclimatise to harsh environments.”

The Abertay University Open Days, on Saturday September 28 and Wednesday October 23, will be the first time the tent has been shown off to the general public.

Scott Marshall, a sports science technician, spent a few months building the tent.

He said: “It adds another dimension to the learning experience.

“They don’t just read about it in the textbooks, but with this they can actually get involved and feel what the temperature and humidity is like.”

Picture: Dougie Nicolson. Courier reporter Peter John Meiklem put through his paces.