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| No, Not This. |
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| Nor This! |
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| This is the type of heat that I am talking about. |
Here comes another rant or a pet peeve that I have related to recent warm weather and people exercising in it. Just like this photo displays I hate that people think safely exercising in warm weather is all about preventing dehydration, and drinking copious amounts of fluids. Some athletes and coaches think that they can work vigorously and non-stop in extreme conditions as long as there is an adequate water supply. It doesn't matter how much you drink, it won't prevent your core body temperature from rising. The real danger is exercising in a way that allows the core temperature to reach unsafe levels where heat stroke can occur.
I hate the heat and I hate exercising in the heat. Fortunately, I know that I am of a species that may be the most readily-evolved to function in the heat compared to all other mammals. We as humans have evolved many features to assist us in the heat and they all deal with keeping the core body temperature down. A few examples are...
1) We are Bipedal Creatures
This allows us to decrease the surface area that is radiating by the sun and increases the surface area in which air flow can help cool the body.
2) Sweating
Most mammals like dog's lose heat by panting but humans are able to regulate temperature most effectively through sweat via evaporation. This system is vastly more efficient than other mammals and under certain circumstances can even allow humans to outrun horses in a distance footrace.
3) Body Hair
It's a good thing we don't have the hair bodies of our ancestors. All of that hair would not allow us to cool ourselves as efficiently as we do now.
4) Blood Vessel Dilation & Hormonal Regulation
Capillaries near the surface of the skin dilate and this helps cool our bodies. It also helps control our blood pressure which can indirectly help control water loss. We also have advanced hormonal and homeostatic mechanisms that work to control and maintain electrolyte levels, blood pressure, body temperature, urine output and more.
5) Our Brains
We are smart. Smarter than we give ourselves credit for because our brains think for us and we don't even realize it. When it is hot or we know that we are going to be physically active for a certain duration or distance our brains start to do some calculations. If I want to go run 10 miles in 100 degree fahrenheit 85% humidity weather then my brain is able to figure out that it is going to have to slow my ass down. This theory was popularized and coined as the "Central Governor" theory by Dr. Timothy Noakes of South Africa. So if I can normally run 10 miles at an average of 8:00 minutes per mile in 55 degree fahrenheit weather then I may be lucky if I can even run 10 miles at a 10:00 minutes per mile average pace in the aforementioned conditions. This central governing by the brain is what allows us to run ourselves to death.
So as you can see we have quite a few adaptations to exercising in the heat but obviously people still struggle with exercising in the heat. If the answer isn't to chug gallons of water non-stop, then what is it? Well there are quite a few things we can do to help ourselves out...
1) Drink Ad Libitum
This is latin for drinking as your thirst dictates. A common misconception and myth is that you will become dehydrated before you are even thirsty. This is false! If you are not thirsty then you are NOT DEHYDRATED. You honestly can put yourself at risk for an even more dangerous condition known as hyponatremia by drinking too much too often.
2) Exercise by perceived intensity or heart rate, not by pace
Running at an effort that is perceived as light may equal two totally different paces on two different days. However, the body is still working at the same rate despite moving at a different rate. Equally, exercising at a heart rate of say 150 beats per minute on a Tuesday is the same intensity as 150 beats per minute on a Friday even though that same intensity may produce two totally different outcomes. Attempting to run by pace in the heat is the type of thing that may put a person in a situation where they will strain their ability to self-regulate their core temperature. Thankfully, there is a good chance that a healthy individual's central governing abilities would shut down their ability to exercise further in this sort of situation. However, if you have pre-existing or unbeknownst conditions you could be at risk for complications or heat stroke.
3) Acclimate, Acclimate, Acclimate.
How often do we abuse air conditioning during the dog days of summer? Are you giving your body the chance to fully adapt to the heat if you live, eat, and sleep at a constant 69-79 (whatever you set your thermostat to) degrees for 95% of the day? Are you trying to exercise at the same intensity during times of seasonal change? The first week of 85 degree weather in May is going to be a lot harder on a runner or football player than the week of 90 degree weather in August. This is easily accommodated by training by perceived intensity or heart rate or by giving more or longer breaks in May compared to August for team sports.
4) Know the Humidity
There is a reason people say it's the heat and not the humidity. Humidity is the level of moisture in the air and the more moisture in the air equals the less efficient we are at lowering our core temperature via evaporation.
5) Dress for Success
No, I'm not saying that you should wear a suit and tie but you need to dress to succeed in your environment and sport. Most people already know that lighter colors reflect the sun's rays and darker colors absorb them. Also, as mentioned earlier we are already evolved to cool ourselves via sweat...Don't limit this by excessively covering all parts of the body. If you work with sports teams like football cut down on the amount of padding or helmets in the heat. You also can help your body by doing simple things like pouring cold water over your head or taking a cold shower before exercise.
There are many other tips that we could discuss but there are just a few main points that need to be kept in mind. Slow down, drink as your body tells you to, and give yourself ample rest as the temperature and humidity rise. Don't be the coach that chastises athletes to sprint to water breaks and sprint back. Water breaks should be less focused on the water and more on the break to allow better thermoregulation. Don't be so afraid of dehydration either. You will lose water weight and become slightly dehydrated while exercising in the heat. Your body can handle this and there is evidence that the more elite athletes lose more water than the lesser athletes.
Nevertheless, the world isn't perfect. People will still have issues and may be pre-disposed to suffering a heat illness. If you suspect a person to be suffering a potential heat illness then the #1 thing you can do is get them immersed into cold water. It doesn't matter if this is a cold tub, kiddy pool or hotel bathtub. Get their body immersed into icy cold water and notify emergency medical services.
The first 60 years of the 20th century was dominated by the conventional wisdom that athletes should drink as little as possible during exercise. There wasn't massive epidemics of heat stroke during these years but I'm not saying this advice was entirely correct either. Perhaps drinking the least possible may not be the best advice but I also don't think that drinking as much as possible is the best advice either. You have a brain-body connection for a reason, listen to it. It will tell you when to eat, drink, slow down and rest. You just need to pay attention.
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