Hot
Weather Training
Take baby steps. The fitter you are, the better your
body can tolerate exercise in the heat, so try to build your fitness to a high
level in the spring, before the first heat wave of the year. When the
first really hot day comes, do a shorter- and slower-than-normal workout.
On each subsequent hot day go a little farther and a little faster. It
takes about 10 days for the body to full acclimatize to the heat. The
body adapts by increasing its sweating capacity and reducing the electrolyte
concentration of the sweat to boost your ability to maintain a safe core body
temperature. After this process is complete you can train more or less
normally through the summer.
Slow down. I said “more or less normally” above
because it is never possible to train as hard in the heat as in temperate
conditions. Research has shown that the brain protects the body during
exertion in the heat by constantly monitoring the core body temperature and
limiting muscle activity to prevent the core body temperature from rising to
dangerous levels. (It’s actually the heat produced by the muscles, not
environmental heat, that causes heat illness to occur. Environmental heat
merely prevents body heat from dissipating.) So don’t expect or try to
perform at the same level on hot days. Instead, maintain your normal
level of exertion and understand that you will not go as fast at this level of
exertion as on cooler days.
Run early-or late. If you take the time to acclimatize to the
heat, and you adjust your pace properly on hot days, you can train safely in
very high environmental temperatures. However, because you have to slow
down, you can’t train as hard or get as fit in such temperatures as you can in
cooler temperatures.
By the same rationale I recommend that you
train early in the morning and late in the evening-and perhaps even indoors
sometimes-to avoid the highest temperatures of the day. You’ll have
better workouts and you’ll feel more comfortable, too.
Dress to sweat. Sweating is the body’s primary cooling
mechanism. When you train in hot weather, be sure to dress in clothes
that allow this mechanism to do its job. Avoid wearing everyday clothes
such as cotton t-shirts, which trap sweat and heat against the body.
Instead wear technical apparel that is designed for your sport and made from
moisture-wicking fabrics such as CoolMax, which soak sweat from your skin and
transfer it to the outer surface of the garment for evaporation. Light
colors that reflect the sun are also preferable.
Stay hydrated. Drinking during hot-weather workouts
will help your sweating system do its job better. By drinking throughout
each training session you will keep your blood volume close to normal levels,
which in turn keeps your sweat rate high. And since oxygen is delivered
to the muscles through the blood, maintaining your blood volume through
drinking also enables your heart to deliver more oxygen per contraction, so you
perform better than you can if you allow your body to become too dehydrated.
Try pre-cooling. Research has shown that athletes perform
better in hot environments when they cool their bodies beforehand.
Pre-cooling doesn't make a huge difference, but if you want to gain a little
bit of performance in important workouts that must be done in the heat, turn
your air conditioning down low or spend time in a cool bath before you head out
the door.
Also, for those of you doing long distance training (Ironman), I would route my rides and or runs around an ice cold spring (Wacissa) or even a lake. Midway on my ride or run, I'd stop to cool off my body. During our very warm summers in Florida, nothing felt better. I felt fresh to continue my workout.
