A week ago I talked a little bit about hydration as the weather gets warmer going into the summer months. Hydration is important, but it is only one piece of the puzzle when it comes to exercising in the heat. Heat stroke is a very dangerous condition where body temperature reaches 104 degrees Fahrenheit or higher. When you perform any vigorous exercise, your body temperature will rise (which is why you sweat) and exertion in the heat will speed this rise in body temperature. The symptoms of heat stroke are nausea, vomiting, fatigue, weakness, headache, muscle cramps, and dizziness (although not all people will experience all of the same symptoms).
Prior to reaching 104 degrees however, you will probably begin to experience fatigue and the feeling that you simply cannot perform at the same level you had been. There are other conditions associated with high temperatures including heat cramps, and heat exhaustion. If you spend a lot of time out in the heat, it is important to review these different conditions to get a sense of the warning signs as well as what to do when you experience them or see them in others.
So, what can you do about it? There are several strategies that you can use to approach the summer weather and still fit in all of your active plans. The first thing is to not overexert yourself, especially in the beginning of the hot weather. Give yourself a little time to acclimatize to the heat and take it easy the first several times the weather gets hotter than usual. Secondly, make sure to lather on the sunscreen, and maybe change your route or typical location to include some shade. Additionally you can avoid the heat by either going outside earlier in the day before the full heat is on, or by heading indoors to exercise in an air-conditioned space.
Before you begin strenuous exercise outside, you can pre-cool your body. Basically, by pre-cooling the body prior to the start of prolonged exercise, it gives you a little more time before hitting the danger zone. What do I mean by pre-cool? There are several methods including immersion in cold water, wearing an ice vest or drinking an ice slurry. It’s important to also work on cooling down during your activity by making sure to take breaks when needed, and making your beverage of choice a cold one. I have also heard about people putting ice into a bandana that they tie around their neck, putting some ice cubes on a sponge and slipping that under their hat, or pre-chilling a wet hat in the refrigerator. While dunking yourself in a vat of cold water isn’t always practical, some of the other suggestions can be. The studies about ice slurries show that they work almost as well as the full body immersion, and who wouldn’t want an icy drink on a hot day? I’m planning to test this out on my next long hot run and I have some ideas about how to make slushy beverage which I’ll share when I work the best strategy. As I write this, it is rainy and 64 degrees so I haven’t felt like making slush, but since this is New England so I’m sure the weather will be changing soon!
The most important thing you can do is to avoid these conditions from happening in the first place. As I always say, “fail to plan and you plan to fail”. By planning ahead you can prevent a lot of these negative symptoms from happening to you!
