Hot Weather Workouts: Have A Plan
In the best situation you would have your own sweat rate and sweat content analysis. This information provides an analysis as unique to you as your fingerprint. Once you know the rate of sweating and the content you can establish a detailed ‘menu’ of the right type of hydration (water and/or electrolytes) and the amount needed to maintain an appropriate pre-activity hydration.
Precision Hydration® is who I utilize. You can access https://www.precisionhydration.com/test-centers-map/ for a location that provides this service.
Gatorade® has a wearable that estimates the whole body sweat rate and sodium loss. https://www.gssiweb.org/sports-science-exchange/article/gx-sweat-patch-and-app-for-personalized-hydration#articleTopic_3
Taking in water and appropriate electrolyte drinks is important. Morning ingestion of 80% of your body weight in ounces is a good target. Remember we typically awake from sleep and fasting low in fluids.
During your activity ingestion is mostly based upon team or individual schedules of practices. Plan to ingest every 20 minutes or when thirsty.
Post activity ingestion is to replenish levels, manage thirst and to begin hydration for the next exercise bout.
Recovery
Recovery is a personal process by trial and evaluate. Try multiple plans and document how you feel over the time from the end of a workout to the beginning of the next. A marker to follow for information is heart rate.
What is your baseline resting heart rate and compare recovery heart rate as one metric of your bodies response.
Sweating or ‘warm’ feeling during recovery, document the time from the recovery session to a ‘no sweating’ baseline.
Cold water immersion. 51 degrees for 11 minutes. You can do legs only or include torso.
Leg elevation. Sit on your bottom with legs up and heels on the wall. “drain” legs for 8-12 minutes
Cold shower. Use the cold water to end your cleansing shower. Target neck, top of head and arm pits as key cooling points.
Your Checklist Might Look Like This:
Pre-hydration with electrolytes
Apply sunscreen
Select & wear technical clothing for sweat dissipation
Continuous intake of fluid
Post workout recovery choice; cold immersion, cold shower, pool, lake, mountain stream, compression, leg elevation)
Eat & Nap
