DON’T LET HEAT HAMPER YOU
The trick to keeping up with workouts in humid weather is a controlled approach
While most of us were cosying up to our air conditioners during the recent heat wave, Athletics Canada held the Canadian Track & Field Championships in Ottawa. Temperatures during the outdoor event were in the mid-30s C for the first few days, with the humidity making it feel even hotter. Under the direction of Athletics Canada’s chief operating officer, Mathieu Gentès, meet officials put several measures in place to help the athletes keep cool, including misting stations, additional water stations and cooling tubs filled with icy water. There was also a sponging station at the finish where volunteers swabbed down athletes as they crossed the line. Additional medical staff were also at the ready to attend to any participant overcome by the heat. If you’re a summer athlete, you have probably encountered circumstances where you weren’t able to heed recommendations by health officials to limit physical exertion during periods of high heat and humidity. Sports leagues don’t cancel their games. Runners, cyclists and triathletes still put in the training miles under the blazing summer sun. This necessitates strategies not just to maximize performance during extreme conditions, but to avoid being sidelined by heat stress or illness.
In most conditions, the body copes with hot weather by sweating more and accelerating the flow of blood toward the skin to burn off excess heat.
But with so much extra effort needed to cool the body, less energy is available to fuel activity, hence the tendency for heart rates to rise and performance to suffer during periods of high heat and humidity. With more exposure to hot conditions, however, the body becomes more efficient at cooling itself. Depending on the type of training, environment and whether you’re an elite or recreational athlete, it takes anywhere from seven to 14 days for the body to acclimatize to the heat.
This is why so many Canadian athletes search out hot climates in the months leading up to their competitive summer season. As counterintuitive as it may seem, exercising in the heat improves your ability to exercise in the heat. The trick is to do it in a controlled manner.
Short bouts of exercise are the way to start. Slowly increase the length of your workout as your body adjusts to the heat. Within about a week, you’ll start sweating sooner and producing greater quantities of sweat. Your heart rate will settle down to normal exercise levels, too.
No need to worry about additional measures to cope with humidity; research indicates heat acclimatization works in both dry and humid conditions. That said, you may feel more uncomfortable in humidity and need to include additional external cooling strategies to manage your comfort level.
Be sure to include a hydration plan into your workout schedule. The effects of a heat wave are cumulative, with hydration levels typically dipping below normal as hot days take their toll, so make sure you drink often, even when you’re not training or competing.
Plan your workouts to coincide with the time of day when you are most likely to compete. Often, event organizers won’t schedule competitions during the hottest part of the day, opting instead for early start times. In the event that you are forced to be out in the full sun, however, make sure you expose yourself to controlled, hot conditions before trying to push your limits in a race or competition. Finally, always err on the side of caution. Being felled by the heat can affect your ability to compete for the rest of the summer.
Following are some additional tips to help you work up a sweat in the dogs days of summer.
GET USED TO THE HEAT
Include a two-week acclimatization plan in your training if you have an upcoming summer competition. Work your way up to 60 minutes or more of exercise in conditions similar to those in which you will be competing. Training in a hot room is as effective as training outdoors. Monitor your heart rate during the acclimatization period; you should notice less of an exercise-related spike as your body becomes better at adapting to the heat.
DRINK UP
Drink water before, during and after your workout, as it’s not unusual for athletes to begin a summer workout already dehydrated. In most cases, drinking to quell thirst is sufficient, but during prolonged, higher-intensity bouts of exercise, it may be necessary to drink ahead of thirst. Drinking six millilitres of water per kilogram of body weight every two to three hours is a good general recommendation. Heavy sweaters may want to add salt to their fluid intake.
TAKE EVERY OPPORTUNITY TO COOL OFF
Pre-cooling strategies include iced towels, commercially available ice vests, fans or sponging down with cold water before extended workouts. Cold beverages or slushies can be used during exercise to promote internal cooling. Be sure to test out any in-competition cooling methods during training.
EXERCISE MORE CAUTION IF YOU’VE BEEN SICK
Be especially careful in the heat if you recently suffered from the flu, diarrhea or any other illness because your ability to dissipate heat may be adversely affected.