Exercising in the Heat

In a previous blog (How to Hydrate During Exercise, Feb. 23, 2011), I touched briefly on some of the affects dehydration has on the body, and how those symptoms are amplified in high temperatures. I will be discussing that in greater detail for this blog.  Summer has finally arrived here in Colorado, bringing with it sunny skies and hot temperatures.  This, naturally, encourages people to take their workouts outside. While exercising outside is a great way to beat the boredom of the gym, enjoy some sun and scenery, there are some things to be aware of when doing so in the summer months.

In the How to Hydrate During Exercise blog, I state dehydration as a major concern for endurance athletes. This is especially true during the summer. The body needs to work harder in order to cool you down, and since the outside temperatures are already so high, it takes less physical activity before you begin to sweat.  Sweating is your body’s natural way to cool itself in an attempt to maintain homeostasis.  But with sweat, comes increased water loss. Staying properly hydrated becomes more important when the temperatures are hot, as you’re losing more fluid through sweating. To avoid dehydration, be sure to drink water before, during, and after exercising, being sure to take small sips during exercise  If you’d like to read a bit more about dehydration, please refer back to the above mentioned blog post.

The time of day you exercise is important during the summer. Try to schedule workouts either early in the morning or in the evening so as to avoid being outside during the hotter parts of the day (noon-3pm). Exercising midday will only slow you down and decrease performance.  If an early morning or evening workout isn’t permissible with your schedule, you may consider going to the gym.  A run on the treadmill, although boring, is better, and safer, than a run outside in 100 degree temperatures during your lunch break. You not only risk dehydration by exercising in the heat, but heat exhaustion as well.  This occurs when the body is unable to cool the body at the rate your body is heating up. This can happen due to dehydration but also, and perhaps more commonly, overexerting yourself in hot weather. When this happens, your body becomes severely less efficient at cooling itself.

 Symptoms of heat exhaustion include: dizziness, muscle cramps, fatigue, weak and rapid pulse, nausea, and headache. You may notice these symptoms are similar to those of dehydration, making it important to pay attention to these, and listen to your body. If you think you might have heat exhaustion, stop exercising immediately. Top priority is to cool your body; move to a cooler location, take a cold shower, drink cold fluids.

  I experienced the danger of dehydration and heat exhaustion during a marathon a few years ago. The temperatures were unseasonably high and I was unprepared for the heat.  I was not the only ill-prepared runner that day. Several people needed to be put on IV fluids while others, like myself, experienced less severe symptoms like dizziness and lightheadedness. While your summer workouts might not be running 26.2 miles, it is necessary to keep these tips in mind and stay properly hydrated in the heat.