04/08/21
3
Training in the hot sun is challenging but not impossible
When temperatures are very high, practicing physical activity is not easy. Both at an amateur and competitive level, performance is inevitably affected by the heat and the body’s thermoregulation mechanism, therefore it is necessary to take special precautions to be able to continue training. In this article we will give you some little advice for tackling training in the heat.
With the arrival of summer, the heat could be an obstacle to our physical activity: certainly maintaining the same rhythms, routes and training times that we usually have in winter could have negative effects on our performance and , consequently, on our determination. A drop in performance could make us believe that we have lost our form, making us give up and opt to make the seasonal rest coincide with the start of the summer.
In reality, it is simply the temporary loss of efficiency of some physiological systems due to high temperatures. With some care and small changes to our training routine we could continue to play sports even in the warmer months.
Training in the heat: choosing the right time
Our body temperature should always be around 37 degrees Celsius. If it is very hot or following intense physical effort, the temperature tends to rise and our body implements the sweating defense mechanism: the sweat glands increase the production of sweat to refresh the body and block the increase in internal temperature.
The human body adapts to external temperatures, so if you want to train it is best not to overload it by choosing the times of day when the climate is mildest: very early in the morning or late afternoon. The choice to change training times compared to the rest of the year is certainly the first thing to do when establishing your training program in the heat.
Hydrate a lot
Hydration for athletes is always essential; dehydration decreases performance and endangers health; just think that a state of dehydration of just 2% can compromise both physical and mental performance. In summer, then, it takes on an even more important role given the considerable loss of liquids through sweat. This is why it is important to hydrate the body a lot throughout the day, before, during and after the performance.
Our advice is to drink a lot and eat foods rich in water such as fruit and vegetables (replenishing mineral salts) throughout the day:
- drink at least half a liter of water two hours before training
- drink about 250 ml of water in small sips and at regular intervals of 10-15 minutes during exercise
- drink in small sips even for the hour following training, replenishing as needed
Wear functional clothing
To help cool the body throughout the workout, it is a good idea to wear functional clothing that allows the skin to breathe and sweat to evaporate.
Sprintade®, an Italian company specialized in the creation and sale of products for top-level athletes, from food supplements to functional clothing, has created the T-Shirt DrySense by Sprintade®, a lightweight, breathable, stretchy, 100% polyester shirt that doesn’t stick to the skin, perfect for your warm weather training. We also recommend that you always wear sunscreen as sweat certainly lowers your body temperature, but it also attracts the sun’s rays a lot.
Change intensity and routes
Sustaining intense and prolonged efforts when temperatures are very high is tiring and potentially dangerous. It is therefore good practice to lower the intensity of training compared to the winter periods and learn to listen to your needs by increasing the breaks between one session and another if necessary. Changing the routes, preferring routes in the shade, is also a good idea to continue training in the heat without overloading our body.
