The Heat is on!

You have heard us tell you many times that one of the elements you want to achieve in order to maximize the fat burn and the benefits from your workout is that you want to sweat, or generate body heat.  But when the outdoor temperatures are rising, too much of a good thing can be a bad thing.  Our bodies take time to acclimate to training in higher temps and even when acclimated we need to take precautions and know the danger signals of heat-related illnesses.

Following are some tips that will help you to acclimate to training in the heat and to stay safe while doing so:

Drink Fluids
Drink up, but not too much.  Our bodies are about 50 to 60% water and as the temperature climbs we naturally perspire more to cool ourselves.  Try to take in adequate fluids throughout the day so that you go into your workout well hydrated.  If your exercise session is 30 minutes or less you probably do not need to take in fluids during your workout.  If your session lasts longer than 30 minutes, drink 3 to 8 ounces of water every 15 to 20 minutes.  For sessions lasting 60 minutes or less, sports drinks and energy gels are unnecessary and simply result in extra calories.

A simple way to check your hydration status is to weigh yourself before and after exercise (preferably nude so you aren't weighing your sweat drenched clothing).  Any difference in body weight is fluid loss during your training.  One pound of weight loss is the equivalent of 16 oz. of fluid.  By replacing your weight loss with a corresponding amount of water you should maintain adequate hydration.

If you are participating in a long duration event you must also pay attention to not over-hydrating. Over-hydration, also called water intoxication or hyponatremia, can result if you drink too much water.  This dilutes the sodium concentration in your blood and can be fatal.

Ease up
Allow your body some time to adjust to the higher temperatures and humidity.  Over time your body will acclimate and become more efficient at training in the heat.  However, when the humidity is higher our bodies simply do not function as efficiently as they do in cooler temps and lower humidity.  Sweat that normally evaporates off our skin to cool us instead clings to us and we cannot perform as well and our core temperatures can rise dangerously high if we don't back down.

Avoid the hottest part of the day
Common sense should tell us to avoid the hottest part of the day by trying to get out early or waiting until the sun starts to drop a little lower.  Yes, there is an ultramarathon called the Badwater 135 that takes runners through Death Valley where temps surpass 120 degrees.  And yes, people have died running the race!  A "funny" story I heard related from the race was from a runner who was in second place.  He could tell that he was gaining on the first place runner because the lead runner kept barfing bananas that he was trying to eat.  At first, the banana barf was like baked bananas on the pavement, but as head cut the lead the banana barf was fresh.  Let's make it our goal to avoid banana barf, both baked and fresh.

Wear light-colored, lightweight clothing.
Dark colors absorb the heat and heavyweight clothing will trap the heat.  Technical fabrics wick the sweat away from your body as opposed to cotton which will absorb your sweat and remain wet (causing more heat build-up and sometimes some really painful chafing).

Know when to say "when".
It may kill you mentally to not finish your 8 mile run or your planned hike, but it can literally kill you physically if you push beyond your safe limits.  Listen to your body and know that the following are signs of heat-related illness; weakness, dizziness, paling of your skin, headache, muscle cramps, nausea or vomiting, and rapid heartbeat.  If you are experiencing any of these symptoms it is time to STOP and cool down.

There is actually an upside to training in the heat.  A study published in the Journal of Applied Physiology examined the impact of heat acclimation to improve athletic performance in hot and cool environments.  The data showed that heat acclimation exposure provided measurable ergogenic benefits in cool conditions as well as the expected performance benefits in the hot environment.  While these results are probably more beneficial to competitive athletes looking to gain an edge, they do show that if we ease into hot weather training that our bodies will adapt and will perform more efficiently.