Acclimatization to the Heat
Article by Val Burke of 'Reach Your Peak'Email Val at: valburke@telus.net Will you be competing in the heat this summer? Are you hoping to do a PB? If you are an endurance athlete this information may help in your preparations.
Acclimatization is physiological and psychological -sport scientists measure the physiological variables and know when their athletes have acclimatized and therefore can expect to achieve maximal performance in the heat. You don't need a rectal thermister to tell you if you have acclimatized…these guidelines can help you in your quest.
Some points to note
1. If you are acclimatized you will train & compete at a lower skin and core temperature. Therefore your performance will be higher if you compete in the heat.2. It takes 6-14 days to acclimatize to the heat (a lot of the physiological changes have happened by 6 days). You must exercise in the heat to acclimatize (read on for guidelines).
3. After you are acclimatized it takes 2-3 weeks to lose the physiological effects if you start training in cooler climates. Maintain these effects by intermittent exposure to the heat.
4. Body fat stores hinder your ability to cool. A muscular person with a good layer of body fat may have the hardest time competing in the heat because their muscles produce heat and their body fat layer traps it!
5. Males and females acclimatize equally. A female's menstrual cycle will affect how females feel competing in the heat because it affects their core temperature. Females may find that some days the heat doesn't affect them, while other days they feel mysteriously hotter - you probably are!!!
6. The external factors affecting thermal balance include:
- Air temperature
- Humidity
- Wind and convection
- Solar radiation.
7. After 10 days of acclimatization your sweat rate almost doubles!!! You must match this by ensuring that you are well-hydrated.
Training in the heat can be dangerous - it is advisable to consult an appropriate professional before attempting to design your acclimatization plan.
Val Burke has a Masters Degree in Exercise Physiology from New Zealand. She worked in a PE Department and Performance Testing Laboratory for 7 years, dealing with national and international level athletes. In Whistler she has combined her coaching and sport science background and offers a coaching program for endurance athletes including periodized season training plans, monthly programs, run and cycle biomechanical analysis, anaerobic threshold and heart rate training zone testing, group interval training and strength circuits, and a 12-week Olympic Distance triathlon training clinic leading into the Squamish triathlon.