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Alex
I provide nutrition coaching for endurance athletes to improve performance and body composition through a simple and flexible eating style.
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The fueling guide bundle serves as your one-stop-shop for strategies to fueling before, during and after your workouts.
If the summer heat has you relentlessly daydreaming of a winter blizzard to cool your body down, you are not alone. While endurance training in the extreme heat can be done, it is important to be aware of the safety risks and take appropriate precautions. Taking these measures will help to optimize your training and keep you healthy. Let’s review several ways to stay safe while training in extreme heat.
Plain and simple, exercising in hot and humid weather puts extra stress on the body. If you do not take precautions when training in extreme heat or humidity, you risk serious consequences. The exercise, as well as the air temperature and humidity, can increase your core body temperature. If your core body temperature increases too much, you may face heat exhaustion or even heat stroke. According to the Mayo Clinic, the most serious form of heat injury is heatstroke and can occur if your body temperature rises to 104℉. Adequately preparing for training in extreme heat can help to:
While I overwhelmingly support flexibility for endurance athletes, sometimes more structure keeps you safe and healthy. Therefore, keep in mind these strategies when preparing for training in extreme heat and humidity.
There is no plan without a plan, for beginner and veteran endurance athletes alike. Planning ahead for extreme heat conditions is imperative for both daily training and racing. Several helpful strategies for planning wisely include:
Before you jump the gun and start praying for winter, be sure to review the hydration strategies below. This way, you will feel confident in your day to day hydration planning. A few important considerations:
Stay adequately hydrated at baseline day in and day out. According to the National Academy of Sports Medicine, the recommended fluid intake for men is 125-130 oz/day (approx. 16 cups) and 91-95 oz/day (approx. 12 cups) for women. Remember that this number can increase depending on your training duration and intensity.
Other environmental factors such as altitude also play a role. Start tracking your fluid intake in an app or journal over the course of a few days and training sessions. This will give you a good starting point to go off of to make sure you are consistently staying well-hydrated.
Remember to sip on any hydrating fluids including water, fruit-infused water, decaffeinated tea, milk and plant-based milk alternatives, protein drinks, fresh fruit juice, and even protein-rich smoothies to boost your hydration.
You can “chew” your hydration as well! Our post-workout recovery popsicle (recipe found here) is hydrating any time of day. Be sure to regularly include water-dense fruits and vegetables in your meal planning routine– really the more, the better!
Aim for at least 5-10 oz of fluids every 15 minutes during your training session or race.
Ensure you have the right hydration storage gear for training and race day. For cyclists, this may warrant an investment in a front hydration system for the bike in addition to carrying bottles. For runners, this may be an extra bottle (or two) and for trail runners, this may imply an extra bottle (or two) tucked away in your hydration vest. Insulated handheld water bottles are an easy and convenient way to keep your liquids cool while you are logging those miles.
Certain types of clothing are hot and uncomfortable during extreme heat. In general, the following wardrobe tips may be helpful to ensure your training and race is not a suffer fest:
Lack of nutrition planning can make or break an important training session or race even for the best-intentioned athletes. Nutrition for endurance athletes is always important however even more so when you are training and racing in extreme heat. Be sure to focus on the following:
In general, aim for 60-90 g of carbohydrates per hour during your training session or race. Research shows that your body burns through muscle glycogen stores faster in the heat compared with a cool environment. This can lead to premature fatigue. Individual needs are highly specific and you may very well require more carbohydrates per hour in hot weather versus cold weather. Experiment with increasing your carbohydrate intake during your training sessions to see if you notice a performance boost. Energy gels, sports drinks, energy bars, dried fruit, and fruit leather are several of the countless options for boosting your carbohydrate intake.
Simple carbohydrates such as energy gels and sports drink beverages are the most convenient options for hitting these nutrition goals. Consider taste-testing a wide range of sports nutrition products to see what your body tolerates in varying weather conditions. Flavor fatigue is common amongst athletes so be sure to experiment with varying flavors of the same brand.
In addition, aim for 200-500 mg of sodium per hour, though potentially more if you’re a salty sweater. Your electrolyte needs will vary based on your body size, intensity, duration of the race, and the weather of course. Consider performing a sweat test to better determine your estimated sweat losses in varying weather conditions. From this information, you can better determine your individualized fluid and electrolyte needs.
Remember that you want to always include electrolyte-rich foods in your daily meal and snack planning. Emphasize salty foods and snacks including:
Review our hydration post for sneaking in other important electrolytes including potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
When you regularly train in the heat, your body does adapt, or acclimate. Research shows that interestingly there are physiological benefits to heat acclimation including improved sweating, blood flow, and fluid balance. Consistently lowered body temperature and reduced cardiovascular strain are other benefits. A few strategies for better acclimating to heat and humidity include:
Certainly there are other factors including medical conditions, age, medication use, among others that need to be considered when training in extreme heat. As always, it is important to prioritize safety and be aware of the risks of heat training. Always consult with your medical care provider if you have specific medical needs before training in the extreme heat.
As always, my team and I are here to support you on your hot (or cold) athlete adventures. Consider working with a sports dietitian so that you can better tailor a training and race day fuel plan that works well for you!
Alex
I provide nutrition coaching for endurance athletes to improve performance and body composition through a simple and flexible eating style.
Hi, I'm
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