Tips for Exercising in the Heat
We’re in the heat of the summer now and many of us are still trying to exercise outdoors. Heat exhaustion is something no one wants to experience! I’ve had it happen to me on a couple of occasions and it was very unpleasant…Every year in southern Arizona, people die on hiking trails because they underestimate the power of sun and heat. Don’t let this happen to you.
It is important to get your body accustomed to exercising in the heat and make sure you hydrate properly. Athletes and those of you exercising for longer durations (more than 60 minutes) may need to balance your electrolytes with salt or take glycerol to protect your body from potential dehydration. Swimmers should keep in mind that dehydration can happen even when the body is immersed in water. Be sure to keep a water bottle poolside.
The article posted below, written by running coach and author, Dr. Jason Karp, offers more tips on how to acclimatize, hydrate, and supplement for safe summer exercise. Enjoy!
This time of year, most places in the U.S. and around the world are hot, hot, hot! Have you been exercising in the heat?
Despite the occasional compliment you may get in the gym about your well-defined muscles, water, not muscle, is the major component of your body. So, when you lose water, there are consequences. A major consequence of dehydration is an increase in core body temperature during exercise, with body temperature rising 0.15-0.2 degrees Celsius for every 1% of body weight lost due to sweating.
TIPS TO EXERCISING IN THE HEAT
1. ACCLIMATIZE!
(full acclimatization takes 2 weeks)
– Increased core temperature
– Sweat 400-600 ml/hr
– Outside temp >85 degrees F (30 degrees C)
– Daily exercise
– Continuous, daily exposure:
– Hot & dry: 100 min/day
– Hot & humid: >100 min/day
2. FLUID!
– Before exercise: 500 mL {about 16 oz} two hours before
– During exercise: 200 mL every 15-20 minutes; match fluid intake to equal sweat loss. – Maintain 400-600 mL of fluid in stomach to optimize gastric emptying.
– After exercise: 1 L {33 oz} per kilogram of weight lost
3. {SUPPLEMENT WITH} SODIUM!
(only if exercise >60 minutes or if sodium deficient)
Before, during, & after exercise: 0.5-0.7 gram per liter of fluid
4. {SUPPLEMENT WITH} GLYCEROL!
Creates osmotic gradient in circulation that causes fluid retention, which facilitates hyper-hydration, protects against dehydration, & maintains body temp
– Before exercise: 1.2 grams per kg body weight in 20% glycerol solution within 30-minute period, followed by 26 mL water per kg body weight distributed over 90 minutes before exercise
– During exercise: 0.125 gram per kg body weight mixed in 5 mL fluid per kg body weight
– After exercise: 1.0 gram per kg body weight mixed in 1.5 liters fluid