Although there are benefits to exercising in the heat, there is also reason to take precaution. Your body can lose up to 2L/hour of water while your GI tract can only absorb around 1/2 that amount. Add in humidity and you experience ‘wasted sweat’, where you’re body can’t properly cool off due to the decreased ability for sweat to evaporate. Exercising in the heat can provide benefits when it comes to enhancing performance and allow better function even in cooler climates. Understanding the dangers and how to ensure you are maximizing safety is key.
- Try quicker intense workouts to reduce duration of heat stress
- Acclimatize over 1-2 weeks to progress exposure
- exercise in the shade/early mornings
- Pre-hydrate with 16 0z of water prior to exercise
- During exercise take 8 0z of water every 15-20min
- Post exercise replace fluids by consuming 1L of water for every kg of body weight lost
