How to Train for Triathlon in Hot Weather – Triathlete

Training in hot weather is not always pleasant, but it’s not always avoidable, either. If you live in an area where the summers are toasty and you want to be in peak shape for a fall race, then you have to get out there and sweat in June, July, August, and even September. Remember, it can be hazardous to your health to hit the streets when the mercury starts heading north of 90 degrees on the thermometer.

Don’t let the scorching summer sun deter you from trying to maintain your mileage, however. Overbearing heat and humidity are far from ideal training conditions, but they’re not impossible obstacles to overcome if you take the proper precautions. Plus, training in the heat can help you acclimate in preparation for similar hot-weather race conditions.

What Happens During Heat Acclimation

The first few days in the heat will be the hardest, but it will get better. Heat acclimation generally occurs in 10-14 days of consistent heat exposure. A more highly trained athlete will likely make adaptations faster than a less-trained athlete.

Over the course of that two-week adaptation period, your body is working to make positive physical changes to support your new, and hotter environment. A few noteworthy changes are that you will sweat more and earlier in your workout to help cool your body more efficiently. You will experience a more even distribution of sweat across your body, and your sweat will become more diluted in order to preserve sodium.

While these changes are happening automatically in your body, you can employ these 10 strategies to ensure that you run safely under the sun for the remainder of the summer and help support your body’s heat acclimation process.

Tips for Triathlon Training in Hot Weather

1. Listen to your body.

Let’s start with the most important, which is to recognize what heat illness looks like. Early signs and symptoms of heat illness include fatigue, discomfort, lightheadedness, cessation of sweating, disorientation and nausea. Stop exercising and find a cool environment as quickly as possible if you begin to notice any of these signs or symptoms while exercising in the heat.

2. Get out early, or go late.

If you like to run on your lunch break, it’s worth your while to shift your schedule around when summer rolls around. The sun is strongest in the middle of the day, so try to avoid exercising outside in the hours from late morning to late afternoon. Hit the road before the sun comes up and enjoy lunch later in the day from the comfort of your air-conditioned office. Not a morning person, or can’t be because of your schedule? Try heading out for your run after a long day at work. The later, the better, as temperatures will tend to drop toward the end of the day. And regardless of when you run, stay in the shade whenever possible, where temperatures will often be cooler and the strength of the sun’s rays won’t be as strong.

3. Dress to sweat.

Sweating is the body’s primary cooling mechanism. When you train in hot weather, dress in clothes that allow this mechanism to do its job. Wear technical apparel that is designed for endurance athletes and made from moisture-wicking fabrics, which soak sweat from your skin and transfer it to the outer surface of the garment for evaporation.

Also, make sure you’re considering sun protection: Tans are nice, but sun burns and skin cancer are not. Wear a sport sunscreen with an SPF of 30 or higher, and additional covering in the form of a hat, sunglasses, and UPF apparel will best protect you from exposure to the sun.

4. Take baby steps.

The fitter you are, the better your body can tolerate exercise in the heat, so try to build your fitness to a high level in the spring before the first heat wave of the year. When the first really hot day comes, do a shorter- and slower-than-normal workout. On each subsequent hot day, go a little farther and a little faster. It takes about 10 days for the body to fully acclimatize to the heat. The body adapts by increasing its sweating capacity and reducing the electrolyte concentration of the sweat to boost your ability to maintain a safe core body temperature. After this process is complete, you can train more or less normally through the summer.

5. Slow down (i.e., don’t be a hero).

When the temperature gets above 60 degrees, performance will start to suffer, and you’re not proving anything to anyone if you hit your same splits as in cooler weather. Research has shown that the brain protects the body during exertion in the heat by constantly monitoring the core body temperature and limiting muscle activity to prevent the core body temperature from rising to dangerous levels. (It’s actually the heat produced by the muscles, not environmental heat, that causes heat illness to occur. Environmental heat merely prevents body heat from dissipating.)

So don’t expect or try to perform at the same level on hot days, and forget about hitting specific splits. Instead, focus on maintaining a certain effort level, even if it means running or riding at a slower pace. For example, if your normal training pace is 8-minutes-per-mile, dial it back to 8:30 pace. You could even leave the watch at home if you’re finding you’re pushing it too hard in the heat. The training effect will be the same if the effort level is equivalent across the board.

6. Try pre-cooling.

Research has shown that athletes perform better in hot environments when they cool their bodies beforehand. Something as simple as spending time in air-conditioning before your workout may help your performance. More advanced forms of pre-cooling may be cool-water immersion, or utilizing an ice vest. While those strategies might not be realistic for an everyday ride or run, the concept can still be applied. Try wetting down your hair, put some ice in your jersey or sports bra, or a cold washcloth around your neck before starting your next hot workout.

7. Stay hydrated.

Drinking during hot-weather workouts will help your sweating system do its job better and replace water loss. By drinking throughout each training session, you will keep your blood volume close to normal levels, which in turn keeps your sweat rate high. And since oxygen is delivered to the muscles through the blood, maintaining your blood volume through drinking also enables your heart to deliver more oxygen per contraction, so you perform better than you can if you allow your body to become too dehydrated.

Hydrate with more than water, though, because you’ll need to also replace sodium, potassium and other important electrolytes, which is best done with a sports drink. A sports drink contains dissolved minerals and carbohydrates and it’s absorbed into the bloodstream more quickly than water.

If you’re sensitive to sugary sports drinks, then try using electrolyte tablets with your water to stave off cramping and supply your systems with the minerals they need. Furthermore, never go into a mid-summer workout dehydrated, and be sure to drink before, during, and after exercising in the hot sun. Wearing a hydration belt or carrying multiple bottles on your bike, planting bottles along your route or planning your run or ride to loop back past your house or car are easy and effective ways to keep your fluid levels, body temperature, and energy levels in check.

8. Try a slushy.

A great way to help reduce your body temperature while riding is through an ice slushy drink. This adaptation of the favorite drink utilizes crushed or blended ice, water, and/or a sports beverage. A slushy drink has been shown to be superior to just cold water or ice water. Consuming a slushy drink before or during a ride has been proven to have positive physiological benefits for an athlete exercising in hot conditions.

9. Don’t go solo.

Triathlon training can oftentimes be a very personal pursuit, but sharing a good run or ride with others can be a rewarding and enjoyable experience, not to mention safer than training alone on a summer day. A buddy can help you keep your speed down on a scorching day and also serve as a pleasant distraction when you start a run already soaked in sweat. If you’re short on training partners, however, or simply prefer to work out by yourself, it’s good practice to at least let others know where you’ll be running. Phone a friend beforehand, or post your plans on your preferred social networking website, to let friends and family know where to look if they haven’t heard from you in a while.

10. Make time for recovery.

When exposing your body to extremely hot conditions for exercise, recovery can become even more important. Along with adequate rehydration, you should focus on cooling down your body. The ice bath is a popular way to not only decrease body temperature, but also to limit inflammation.