Outdoor temperatures of 30\u00b0C and above will have you sweating even when standing still.<\/p>\n
What if you\u2019re out training for sporting reasons, or say, simply getting in some exercise to offset all the sitting at your desk job?<\/p>\n
Is vigorous physical activity in hot weather safe?<\/p>\n
\u201cOur bodies are well-suited to withstand strain at high temperatures too,\u201d says\u00a0sport scientist Andreas Barz.<\/p>\n
As an \u2013 admittedly extreme \u2013 example, he points to the annual seven-day Marathon des Sables, an approximately 250km ultramarathon in Morocco\u2019s Sahara Desert, with temperatures reaching 40\u00b0C.<\/p>\n
Research shows that the body can acclimatise to heat to a certain extent.<\/p>\n
\u201cCooling improves and the body loses fewer electrolytes \u2013 i.e. minerals key to many bodily functions \u2013 via sweat,\u201d he explains.<\/p>\n
While the athletically-minded can count on this capability, training in the heat under a blazing sun poses risks.<\/p>\n
Sports requiring prolonged strength \u2013 endurance in particular, such as for triathlons, tennis or football \u2013 can then become hazardous, warns Cologne-based German Sport University (DSHS) sports medicine specialist Prof Dr Hans-Georg Predel.<\/p>\n
Doing sports in hot weather makes you sweat more profusely, and you can lose excessive fluid and electrolytes if you don\u2019t drink enough to replenish them.<\/p>\n
What\u2019s more, your body temperature can rise to dangerous levels.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour body has to switch on its climate control, which is very stressful to the cardiovascular system,\u201d Prof Predel says.<\/p>\n
\u201cYour heart must work a lot harder to ensure blood flow to your skin, for example.\u201d<\/p>\n
The riskiness of sports in hot weather depends in part on your age and whether you\u2019ve any underlying medical conditions.<\/p>\n
If you\u2019re young and healthy, you can put greater strain on your body.<\/p>\n
Barz recommends lightening your training load a little when temperatures reach 25\u00b0C: \u201cIf you normally jog for an hour, cut it to 40 minutes, and maybe even walk now and then.\u201d<\/p>\n
Once your body has had a couple of weeks to acclimatise to the heat, you can increase the duration somewhat, he says.<\/p>\n
What if temperatures climb to upwards of 30\u00b0C, perhaps even prompting a heat alert?<\/p>\n
\u201cIn that case, we recommend avoiding intensive training,\u201d says Prof Predel.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s best then to shift your workout to cooler morning or evening hours, or move it to a cooler place, such as an air-conditioned gym, where you could use a treadmill or bicycle ergometer.<\/p>\n
If you do train outdoors in hot weather, need you drink fluids in the process?<\/p>\n
\u201cDuring workouts lasting up to an hour, fluid intake isn\u2019t a must,\u201d Barz says.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou can drink if you want to, but it\u2019s not necessary.\u201d<\/p>\n
For longer workouts in the heat, it\u2019s essential to say hydrated though.<\/p>\n
As a rule of thumb, Barz advises drinking between a half-litre and one litre of fluids per hour, adding that it\u2019s important, of course, to begin your training session already well hydrated.<\/p>\n
A simple way to gauge whether you\u2019re adequately hydrated, he says, is to check the colour of your urine in the toilet.<\/p>\n
Colourless or light yellow are good signs, but dark yellow indicates your tank is low, so to speak, and you need to rehydrate.<\/p>\n