exercising in the HEAT

All the physical symptoms you have are normal. However, the calorie burn is still about the same.

I can't drink gatorade, that stuff makes me wretch! Can you make your own sugar / salt water, I wonder?

Believe it or not, unless you are outside exercising for a significant amount of time, (over an hour, at the least) then you really don't have to worry about something like Gatorade. Your body loses electrolytes with sweat, absolutely, but Gatorade isn't really that healthy. It's a lot of empty calories for most of the people who drink it unless they're out for a long time and are exercising heavily. Just bring some regular water with you on your excursions instead. You can add a little bit of salt to it if you think you need to, but really if you were to go out and do your 45 minute walk, then drink a glass of water and eat an apple or a salad, you'll get the same effect as if you were to drink a Gatorade.

While it's true that you don't need a sports drink for shorter workouts, there is a qualitative difference between the formulation of something like Gatorade and water. Maybe it was the early marketing, but "replacing electrolytes" is not really the primary function. The types of sugars and other additives create an osmolarity that enhances gastric emptying and absorption. This has two effects: improved hydration during the workout and the enhanced palatability often results in increased fluid intake.

Again, I'm not saying that everyone HAS to use a sports-replacment drink, and many people who use them don't need them, but there is more to the story than what you have described. There are measurable differences in the effects of quality sports drinks vs plain water.

I can't drink gatorade, that stuff makes me wretch! Can you make your own sugar / salt water, I wonder?



I heard gatorade is not really good for you.... Have you tried Zipfizz? Take a bottle water (drink about an ounce of the water) then pour the contents of the tube in your water. It is great for those who workout. Has all the vitamins your body needs when your working out. You can find this in wal-mart. You can google it to find out the nutritional values

not sure how to reply sorry

Be careful with the heat. I wouldn't count on more calorie burn but it's certainly harder on your body. Calorie burn for exercise is highly overrated anyway.

I've run in the heat. I usually drink electrolytes before and after a run. I like the Emergen-C sports 0 calorie mix (I add a little stevia to sweeten it because I don't use sugar). Then I just sip on water during my run.

I have tried making a saline solution out of Himalayan crystal salt (perfectly balanced electrolytes) and lemon juice and stevia but it really doesn't give me what I need as much as the sports mix I mentioned above. That sports mix works the best for me and I've been a runner of all distances for over 30 years. But we are all different. You must find what works for you.

I'm with ya! I'm in Tulsa, and our weather has been just disgusting this summer. I usually just try to exercise inside unless it's below 90. But, I play kickball once a week and have to be outside for that. I was kind of hoping the same thing about the higher heart rate burning more calories, haha.

It's supposed to cool down here over the weekend though, if you can find some indoor exercise to do till then. I've been doing 30 Day Shred and it's pretty great.

I live in Cali and the heat and humidity has been high all summer, but with proper hydration I welcome the heat even though I hate it. My Garmin Edge 500 takes the temp into account when factoring in my calorie burn. I have found some info that might help on your question.


Effects of Temperature on BMR

According to the text, "Thermal Effects on Cells and Tissues," BMR changes as a function of temperature. BMR will change by seven percent for each temperature change of 0.9 degrees Fahrenheit. Thus, when external conditions affect your body temperature, your body will burn more calories as it tries to compensate for the anomaly and restore your body to its normal temperature, increasing your BMR. This effect occurs in conditions of both heat and cold.
Heat and BMR

Your BMR reacts more slowly to external heat than it does cold. Short exposures to higher temperatures have little effect on your BMR. The text, "Basics of Clinical Nutrition," notes that your body's mechanisms to increase heat loss, such as perspiration, adjust for temperature increases and mitigate their effects on BMR. Prolonged heat exposure or an increase in internal temperature, however, can raise your BMR. For example, if you have a fever that is 3 degrees Fahrenheit above normal, your BMR will increase more than 20 percent.

That's from LiveStrong.com, hope it helps