Syracuse University – Heat Training with CORE

In Spring 2025, the Syracuse University Track & Field distance runners started using CORE sensors during their training. Head Coach Brien Bell shared his experience.

This past semester, our distance runners here at Syracuse looked to expand how we understand and manage performance by incorporating CORE body temperature sensors into our training. First introduced to us via the cycling community, we believe it could be beneficial to our program if applied correctly. The goal was simple: gain deeper insight into how heat stress affects training and racing—and give our athletes another edge in their aerobic development.

The CORE sensors provided real-time body temperature data, helping us fine-tune effort levels, hydration strategies, and recovery protocols. We also noticed a surprising physiological benefit: several athletes showed increased blood values—including higher hemoglobin and hematocrit levels—following a consistent phase of heat-adapted training guided by the CORE sensors. It appears that managing body temperature stress over time may have supported a natural boost in aerobic capacity, adding another dimension to the benefits we observed.

What stood out was how individualized the data became. Some athletes ran hotter than others, and that information changed how we approached things like pacing, layering, recovery and mileage. Athletes began to better understand their own physiology and started making smarter decisions about their intensity.

For the coaching staff, it was informative. We could now monitor thermal load over the course of a session/week and identify when additional aerobic development was taking place and when fatigue was truly setting in—not just guessing based on heart rate or pace. In a sport where small margins matter, this insight helped guide smarter adaptation and prevent overreaching. The result was more intentional training, better recovery, and improved confidence heading into the competitive season. We’re excited to build on this momentum and continue integrating this technology.

Brien Bell
Head Coach
Cross Country/Track & Field
Syracuse University