Working out in the heat

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  • wllwsmmr
    wllwsmmr Posts: 391 Member
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    thermal flask with ice cold water to cool you down during your workout?
    blast your fan? open the windows for better air circulation?

    I feel you I'm in a really hot country too and I end my workouts dripping wet!
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
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    If it's hot outside and you workout outside then you are going to be hot. You cannot stay cooler except by not working out.

    However, you will acclimate after several weeks which will enable your body to better handle the heat.

    ^^^This

    Thirds.

    In his book "The Lore of Running", Dr. Tim Noakes states that heat acclimation takes about 3 weeks. After that time, his subjects saw a return the paces they ran in cooler weather.
  • CarsonRuns
    CarsonRuns Posts: 3,039 Member
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    Having a heat stroke is a sign of too little water in your body.

    Actually, studies have shown that there is no correlation between heat stroke and hydration. Heat stroke is caused when the body temperature rises to unsafe levels and the individual ignores the warning signs and continues whatever activity is causing the rise in body temperature. Proper hydration has no impact on body temperature, therefore these two are not related.

    If you really want to see the scientific supporting data that has been gathered over the years with a detailed analysis of it, get "Waterlogged" by Dr. Tim Noakes.
    An hour or two before your run drink 16 ounces of water or sports drink. Then take in between 5 and 12 ounces of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes during the run. If you plan to run for longer than an hour those 5 to 12 ounces should be sports drink. Gatorade G-series Performance 02 is an excellent source of the electrolytes and carbs your body needs during the workout.
    This much hydration is not only unnecessary, but a recipe for Hyponatremia. Also, your body doesn't "need" carbohydrates from an external source for an hour (or even 3 hour) run.
  • jflori
    jflori Posts: 25
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    I'm not sure what to tell you — I love San Diego, and I love the heat! For me, working out in the heat feels the best because I'm sweating more. Maybe try putting your clothes in the freezer so they're cold before you work out? I don't know haha
    Good luck!
  • CMWheeler85
    CMWheeler85 Posts: 10
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    Having a heat stroke is a sign of too little water in your body.

    Actually, studies have shown that there is no correlation between heat stroke and hydration. Heat stroke is caused when the body temperature rises to unsafe levels and the individual ignores the warning signs and continues whatever activity is causing the rise in body temperature. Proper hydration has no impact on body temperature, therefore these two are not related.

    If you really want to see the scientific supporting data that has been gathered over the years with a detailed analysis of it, get "Waterlogged" by Dr. Tim Noakes.
    An hour or two before your run drink 16 ounces of water or sports drink. Then take in between 5 and 12 ounces of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes during the run. If you plan to run for longer than an hour those 5 to 12 ounces should be sports drink. Gatorade G-series Performance 02 is an excellent source of the electrolytes and carbs your body needs during the workout.
    This much hydration is not only unnecessary, but a recipe for Hyponatremia. Also, your body doesn't "need" carbohydrates from an external source for an hour (or even 3 hour) run.

    Our bodies use sweat in order to keep the body cool through evaporation of the water. Keeping your body cool absolutely has to due with proper hydration. Is it the only cause? Perhaps not but to say that having proper hydration in your body has no correlation to heat stroke seems kind of far fetched to me.

    As your body sweats out the water to be evaporated to cool the skin the fluids need to be replaced otherwise you risk dehydration which in turn causes the body to overheat which leads to heat related injuries.

    Perhaps that much water might be too much for some people but making sure that you are hydrated before running is paramount otherwise you are just going to hurt yourself. Again the numbers that I used are what we generally did before our runs in the military and what I still do to this day. I have seen plenty of guys fall out from heat exhaustion and heat strokes due to lack of proper hydration. YMMV as far as how much water is required but I stand by my point that drinking before a run and during a run is crucial. If you feel like the water is in your throat then you have had too much water and Hyponatremia is a legit concern. Sipping on sports drinks that contain electrolytes can help prevent this by introducing salt to the blood stream. I am not saying chug and run so perhaps those numbers might seem a bit high for an hour run on the nose. But it is necessary to make sure your body maintains a proper hydration level and too much water is what leads to Hyponatremia.

    Recognizing the signs is key but taking every step ahead of time to prevent them is also key. Yea you are correct about the carbs I misspoke and in that regard I concede.

    Anyway best of luck to you!
  • Timshel_
    Timshel_ Posts: 22,834 Member
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    I guess I don't think about the heat much living in Arizona. It's just always hot so I don't do too much to change things around as temps rise, unless they start getting over 110. For the most part I start drtinking water a few hours before my workout and then at intervals during. I do try to find a bit of shade for rest periods between intervals. to help cool down. On the hottest days I have a cool towel I might drape over my neck in between intervals as well. After i am done I do like a 50/50 Gatorade/water mix to finsih up. Then just plain water for the next few hours.

    Aside from that, know your body and if you start feeling very fatigued, stop. Rest. Don't think you can push through it as it might be heat stroke.
  • majope
    majope Posts: 1,325 Member
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    If you want a more radical solution you could emigrate to the UK. Here it is pouring with rain, windy and the temperature is a balmy 50 degrees!

    Any takers???? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
    On my way! I don't mind either rain or wind, and that's pretty much my ideal temperature for running.
  • vonnywaft
    vonnywaft Posts: 182
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    If you want a more radical solution you could emigrate to the UK. Here it is pouring with rain, windy and the temperature is a balmy 50 degrees!

    Any takers???? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

    Beat me to it! Its horrible here in the UK today.
  • sammyneb
    sammyneb Posts: 257
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    I hear ya on the heat. I ran my first "hot" run of the year yesterday, it was about 90. Basically I shortened my run (I had planned on 4-5 miles but ended up running 3.5 miles) carried my water with me (I sweat A LOT so yes I carry water when its hot or if I'm running over 6 miles) and I wore my HR monitor. Noticed right away my HR was around 15 BPM faster than normal. So as soon as my HR would hit 170 I would walk until it came down and just did that. Obviously it was a lot slower of a run than normal, but it also kept the "I"m going to die" feeling away :tongue:

    The way to "beat the heat"? I say get out there and just take it slower (running, biking, etc) until your body adjust. I've heard running through the heat equates to better running in the fall, well so I hope.
  • SDkitty
    SDkitty Posts: 446 Member
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    If you want a more radical solution you could emigrate to the UK. Here it is pouring with rain, windy and the temperature is a balmy 50 degrees!

    Any takers???? :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:

    Beat me to it! Its horrible here in the UK today.

    LOL I actually grew up in Ilminster (in Somerset) so I would love that :)

    I haven't actually had heat stroke from working out - I guess I worded that wrong. The last time I had heat stroke I was at Six Flags and it was 105 degrees outside. My goal in asking for your suggestions was to avoid that happening while working out as I have read that some people are just prone to it. *shrug* I'm thinking about just getting a gym membership and using the pool :happy: I do love the cold bandanna trick though, I tried it and although I was still sweating up a storm, it felt great!

    I don't agree that that whole list of water regiments is necessary though, if I choose to run/bike when it's hot obviously I will up my intake but not on that scale. I also don't buy sports drinks. I'm sure they have their purpose but it just seems like a waste of money.

    :flowerforyou:
  • meshashesha2012
    meshashesha2012 Posts: 8,326 Member
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    when i lived in NYC and would run in the summer, i'd put a ziploc bag filled with ice ion top of my head under the baseball cap i wore to protect my eyes from the glare.

    as the ice melted it would trickle down cool water. at the end i had the added bonus of unzipping the bag and either drinking it or pouring it over my head.

    i love working out in the heat and that combined with staring off with a half frozen water bottle really helped
  • worldsbestauntie
    worldsbestauntie Posts: 280 Member
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    I work out at home as I cant afford a gym memebership either (and would probably never go!) In the winter my apartment is a freezer due to lack of proper heat (I gave up on arguing them over it a couple of years ago) In the summer I roast. My plan for this summer when it gets hotter (which I can not wait for!), my plan is to keep my fan nice and close. I don't know if a fan would help but you could try that.
  • Cre8veLifeR
    Cre8veLifeR Posts: 1,062 Member
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    San Diego? I wanted to tell you to shut up lol. If I am going to do an outdoors thing it has to be early early in the morning now (I live in Phoenix), or swimming. Otherwise I deal with heat and hydrate hydrate hydrate! Summer though is pretty much gym time for me. I really HATE being hot.
  • Melissa11412
    Melissa11412 Posts: 145 Member
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    I'm in Houston, TX and the heat index this afternoon is 93 degrees..............and it's only May. Combine this with high humidity and this is a recipe for disaster. I ran this afternoon (just got back about an hour ago) and I agree with the others....hydratehydratehydrate. I'm also running a little bit slower until I can get my body acclimated to the rising temps, as I like to run outside and don't want to stop.....even though the dreaded June/July/August we are about to go through looms ahead.

    I run on a pretty populated trail (Memorial Park). There is usually an HFD rescue squad parked around somewhere hanging out in case someone falls out (have already seen this happen once this year).

    And please people if your ANIMAL is not used to running in these high temps do not take them running with you during the heat of the day, at least wait until late afternoon/dusk/evening.....it hurts my heart so much to see animals laboring in the heat while their stupid @ss owners pull and tug them along....UGHHHHHHHHHHHHH I did a silent prayer for one poor doggie today :(

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