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With the hot weather fast aproaching, and in fact already here in some parts of the country, I wanted to review some important information concerning running in hot weather.
It takes time to acclimate to warmer weather and it is vital to take in enough fluids so that we don't get into serious trouble.
Unfortunately, every year there are some runners who don't consider all the factors while training or racing and die as a result. Take a look at this link to read the true story of a runner who had an unfortunate experience with the heat.
Make sure to protect your heart and your health!
Here is some very specific information on how we are affected as we run during the hot weather months.
An individual who is heat-acclimated may perspire almost twice as much as an unacclimated individual.
Perspiration and evaporation of perspiration, is the primary means for the body to cool during exercise. Skin blood flow increases significantly during exercise. Blood flowing near the surface results in cooling by both conduction and convection. There appears to be a 25 to 40 percent lower increase in skin blood flow, however, in the older athlete. Sweat glands become active as body core temperature rises. One liter of sweat is generated during the expenditure of about 500 kcal. Studies have shown that training increases both sweating and skin blood flow.
An individual who is heat acclimated may perspire almost twice as much as an unclimatized individual. One of the effects of acclimatization is to allow an individual to begin perspiration earlier in the course of exercise, which allows for a quick, effective and efficient beginning to heat dissipation and alleviation of early heat buildup. Each gram of perspiration that evaporates cools the body by 0.6 kcal. Acclimatized individuals may produce up to 30 g/minute of perspiration. This would allow for considerable cooling.
The environment has a major impact on heat loss. Humidity, plays the largest role, but temperature, of course, also plays a major factor. These both impact upon heat loss via conduction and convection besides the impact on evaporation of perspiration. The worst possible conditions would be a hot,
