Understanding Core Body Temperature and Why It Matters

What Is Core Body Temperature?

Core body temperature refers to the internal heat of your vital organs—essentially, the body’s engine temperature. It’s a key indicator of how your system is managing the demands of heat, intensity, and recovery. Unlike skin temperature, which fluctuates with the environment, core temperature reflects the deep thermal load your body is carrying in real time.

Why It Matters in Sports

For athletes, core body temperature isn’t just about comfort—it directly affects performance, fatigue, and decision-making. As internal heat builds, power output drops, reaction time slows, and recovery takes longer. In extreme conditions or high-output training, the body’s natural cooling systems (sweating and blood flow to the skin) can’t always keep up. That’s when heat strain sets in—and with it, increased risk and performance decline.

This is especially true on artificial turf, where surface temperatures can soar beyond 180–200°F. Even short sessions under these conditions can drive rapid heat accumulation.

How HeatSense Helps

With HeatSense, athletes and coaches get real-time visibility into core temperature trends—without invasive tools or guesswork. Our Core-powered thermal sensor, combined with AI-driven insights, helps teams understand each athlete’s response to heat and adjust training accordingly.

That means knowing when to push, when to pull back, and how to use heat as a strategic training variable—not just a hazard to avoid.

Learn more about Heat Strain and training response here.

Explore the science behind core temp measurement in our full breakdown: Core Body Temperature—Comparisons, Challenges, and Innovations.