How to exercise in hot weather? Doctor’s advice

How to exercise in hot weather? Doctor’s advice

Cold water, fitness at noon and other trivial mistakes that athletes make.

According to forecasters’ forecasts, Russia will have a very hot summer in 2020. However, we are so stuck in self-isolation that we want to walk and do sports in the fresh air as much as possible. How to protect yourself from the negative consequences of such loads in the hot season? Let’s find out together with sports doctor Ibraim Chibichev.

How does hot weather affect the athlete’s body?

When being under the scorching sun, the temperature rises, and accordingly the mechanisms of thermoregulation increase – sweating, blood pressure, pulse rate increases and blood thickens, as there is an intensive loss of fluid. This leads to the fact that the body actively triggers recovery mechanisms, and at high load it can adversely affect the cardiovascular system in the first place.

What is the best way to exercise in the heat?

It is not recommended to train in hot weather. It is worth determining when the sun is at its zenith (approximately from 11:00 to 16:00), and postpone exercise at this time. Or at least replace them with less intense ones – it can be yoga or stretching. Still, it is better to exercise outside in the hot summer early in the morning or in the afternoon. In any case – do not forget about the headgear.

Is it necessary to drink during training?

Forcibly force yourself to drink much more than you can, you should not. It is desirable to drink at the request of your body, but necessarily during training. It is best to replenish your water balance at least every 15 minutes. It is worth 1.5 – 2 times the drinking volume, which is optimal for you in the cold season, because it compensates for sweating and blood clotting. You can add salt tablets or isotonics to compensate for the loss of water-electrolyte balance.

How to recover from sports in hot weather?

First of all, it is to compensate for the very water balance we are talking about above. In the second place – to make up for the loss of trace elements with the help of nutrition and supplements. After such loads it is recommended to take a cold shower or ice baths.

The main mistake that athletes make is to drink cold water. This can harm the body and cause inflammation of the lymph nodes, the formation of diseases such as pharyngitis and laryngitis. It is also not worth it to be in drafts and sit under the air conditioner. Despite the recommendation of ice baths, they should also be introduced gradually and only for 1-2 minutes.