Outdoor endurance athletes will use a pill developed by NASA to measure their body temperatures. Half of the pill is a battery and the other half is a transmitter. Readings are relayed back to coaches so they can monitor how their athletes are faring in the heat.

Athletes are starting to become more concerned about the heat and humidity than the much publicized pollution problems.

“We would have five athletes selected for each game and [medical staff] would notify you the morning of the game, then someone [medical staff] would come around and give you a little pill that slips down into your body like taking a Panadol,” said
Athens gold medallist Nathan Eglington.

“Then, after four to five hours, [the pill] gets down into the core of the body and acts as a little thermometer where the medical staff can come up and hold a little reader against your chest and read your temperature.

Some other remedies to battle the Beijing humidity include Britain’s cooling chair and Nike’s cooling vest.

Read more: Our secret weapon for Beijing Special pill to check body temperature