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Training routines in extreme conditions are a recurring topic of debate in the fitness world. On the one hand, we see them glorified in movies and by celebrities (Rocky pulling a sled in the snow, Madonna doing Bikram Yoga, and so on), and on the other, alarming publications warn about the risks of training in extreme heat or overtraining in other conditions. So, is training in extreme conditions positive or negative?
Like everything, this topic has its nuances. This article explains the benefits of training in the heat and the risks it entails. We also give you some tips on incorporating this methodology responsibly into your exercise routines.
Training in the heat is often recommended to increase endurance and especially to prepare for competitions in hot climates. What particular benefits does it have for the body? Here’s what we tell you!
If you have participated in athletic competitions or done sports during the hottest hours of the day, you know that the weather is a determining factor in our performance. Exercising under the sun or in high temperatures usually decreases our capabilities by increasing our physiological effort.
For those planning to participate in outdoor competitions, especially long-duration ones (like marathons), training in extreme heat can help them acclimate to these conditions and suffer less impact during the competition.
Studies on the specialized training site Training Peaks indicate that healthy adults who train in hotter conditions can achieve a lower resting core temperature, favoring their performance in competitions with high climatic conditions.
According to this study, we can see results by training for 60 to 90 minutes for four to ten days in conditions that raise our core temperature by one to two degrees Celsius.
If training in extreme heat acclimates us for competitions under the sun, will this affect our performance in cooler conditions? Quite the opposite! A 2010 study from the University of Oregon, conducted among professional cyclists, found that training in high temperatures improved athletes’ performance even in cooler conditions.
This and other studies suggest that training in extreme heat has similar effects to altitude training, stimulating the production of red blood cells and, therefore, the transport of oxygen throughout the body, including the muscles.
Sweat rate is a measure that indicates the amount of fluid someone loses through sweating during an hour of exercise under certain climatic conditions. When this rate increases, the amount of sweat increases, allowing the body to regulate its temperature better and faster, avoiding the negative effects of exposure to high temperatures.
Training in extreme heat can help increase your sweat rate and better prepare you for outdoor competitions. However, excessive sweating should be avoided, which can lead to dehydration. We will discuss this in more detail later.
Plasma is a liquid that makes up 55% of our blood volume. It contains red blood cells, white blood cells, and platelets. This plasma is 90% water and 10% mineral salts and proteins that help protect us against infections and aid in the coagulation process.
The study mentioned above from Training Peaks indicates that an exercise routine that includes training sessions in high temperatures can increase the plasma volume in the blood.
The specialized training platform Spartan notes that another benefit of training in extreme heat and the consequent acclimatization, is that our heart pumps more blood at a higher speed. This helps strengthen the left ventricle of the heart, which can contribute to your cardiovascular health.
While the idea of training in extreme heat is to increase endurance and prepare for competitions in adverse climatic conditions, overdoing this type of training can be counterproductive. To avoid this, follow these tips for training in extreme heat.
As mentioned earlier, overdoing any type of training can have adverse consequences. If you add the effects of heat to this, the damage inflicted on your body can be truly severe. The following are the most common risks of improper training in heat.
Heat stroke is a medical condition that can lead to the patient’s death. It occurs when exposed to high temperatures that produce hyperthermia (rectal temperature greater than 41ºC). This leads to neurological dysfunction, manifested through disorientation, lethargy, delirium, seizures, and even coma.
The most severe consequences of this condition, according to the National Institute of Public Health of Mexico, are liver failure, kidney failure, cardiovascular damage, intravascular coagulation, and rhabdomyolysis (breakdown of muscle tissue).
Heat stroke manifests with various symptoms; if you detect any of the following symptoms during or immediately after your training, seek medical attention:
If you do not drink enough fluids during your training, you put yourself at risk of dehydration, especially if you train in hot conditions. Dehydration can range from moderate to severe, but dehydration at a level greater than 7% of your body weight can put you at risk of death. Some consequences of dehydration include:
Another risk of excessive training in extreme heat is over-adaptation to heat. Remember what we told you about the sweat rate? If your body over-adapts, it will produce excessive sweat, promoting dehydration.
Training in adverse conditions is not the only way to increase endurance and athletic performance. Some supplements have properties that can help us care for our bones and muscles, burn fat, or rest better so we can perform at our best in our training. Here are some Yes You Can! products that can be your best allies.
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Strength, endurance, and cardio training usually put a lot of stress on our joints. To prevent them from getting damaged and causing severe injuries, we can help them with Happy Joints. This Yes You Can! supplement reduces cartilage deterioration, can reduce joint inflammation, and promotes overall bone health. You'll start seeing good results by taking just two tablets with any meal of the day.
Are you ready to try training in the heat? Remember that to achieve your goals, you must put in enough effort to avoid overtraining. Keep visiting the Yes You Can! blog to find more tips on exercising properly, the best diet for each training goal, and much more. And remember to explore our online store, where you'll find the ideal supplement to achieve your transformation goals.
