How To Train In The Heat. Simple Principles For Everybody

If you have ever trained in the heat, you know how challenging it. Sports scientists, coaches, and athletes have some recommendations on how to make the training in the heat environment as maximum safe, effective, as comfortable.

1. Consume cold water or an ice slurry beverage before exercise in the heat.

2. Plan a short distance loop ~2–3 km (1.5–2 mi). It allows you to put water bottle near the running path (for instance under the bush) and drink/splash every 15 min. Don’t run 25 km down and back.

3. Decrease the intensity and even duration of the warm-up if you have it longer during normal practice.

4. You have to back off on the intensity. Scheduling interval workouts in cooler portions of the day (mornings).

5. In case you haven’t taken, forgotten, occasionally left, or didn’t have a chance to buy the nutrition or water, don’t do the workout today. Don’t exercise, do it another day.

6. If you must train and there is no water but you have money, run through the gas station or the grocery store. Buy the water out there.

7. Splash water and drink regularly and sufficiently. The normal value is 0.5–0.7 liters/hour (17–23 oz) but at the heat training, you can lose around 3 liters/hour (101 oz).

8. Drink water, consume the food, and sports nutrition at the workouts. It lets you know what kind of nutrition works for you during the race.

9. After a workout in the heat conditions, you have to quickly recover the energy balance. Heat attenuates the appetite thus the easiest way to get the calories is beverages.

10. Be aware that you shouldn’t wait when you got the appetite. There is a chance to miss the so-called Window of Opportunities, which last near 30 min after the end of the workout.

11. Consume 100–150% of fluid weight lost during exercise within 4 hours after exercise.

12. Detect any early warning signs of a heat stroke:

 - Headache

 - Loss of consciousness

 - Blurred vision

 - Behavioral changes

 - Strong, fast pulse

 - Hot skin

 - Intense sweating or absence of sweating.

For more details please read the Consensus recommendations on training and competing in the heat