But the human body really can acclimate to exercising in the heat!
Your brain perceives effort differently in the heat, so even before you overheat, you feel sluggish.
That makes sense, but heres the weird part: They didnt overheat andthenslow down.
They were slowerfrom the start.
It seems our brains slow our bodies down proactively on hot days so that conserve energy.
As a workout continues, our bodies heat up.
The athletes that took the longest to reach that temperature were the ones who wore a fancy water-cooling jacket.
you might mimic this effect in your own workouts bydrinking ice-cold beverages and pouring water over your head.
The longer you might keep your body cool, the longer you might keep up a hard effort.
It’s the heatandthe humidity
But cooling your body isnt a complete solution.
So lets look at what happens in real world conditions.
Your body tries to cool off, in part, by sweating.
When moisture evaporates from your skin, it takes some body heat with it.
In humid weather, though, sweatdoesnt evaporate as easilybecause the air is already full of water vapor.
This heat index chart shows the relationship:
Youll run slower in the heat (and humidity).
Thats rightnot your fitness level, but your actual physical size.
People who are larger have more muscle, fat, or both.
Muscle generates heat, and fat acts as an insulator.
This is why petite runners place better in races on hot days.
The answer is simple:Spend more time exercising in the heat.
Who do you think will finish first in a 5K on a hot weekend in August?
Thats right, you will.
The effect has been compared to a mild, totally legal version of blood doping.
Heres the bad news: Heat adaptation takes work.
Its not enough to sit around in the air conditioning all summer, only venturing outside for occasional workouts.
If you want the advantages of heat training, you have to work for them.
Take it easy at first.
Safety guidelines for workers provide a reality check here.
Within a week, they should slowly ramp up to 100%.
If your gym has a sauna, this is a great way to use it.
(She won a bronze medal, the first American ever to do so).
Or return to the sauna protocol after your cooler-weather workouts.
Whatever you do, stay safe, and enjoy your new superpowers.
