KEEP YOUR COOL THIS SUMMER
Now that summer’s here you’re probably adjusting your outdoor activities. I sure am. For instance, on the days I jog I’m getting up earlier so I can hit the trail before the sun rises much above the horizon. I’m wearing the least amount of clothing, just shorts, a T-shirt (to wipe my brow with) and running shoes. Plus a hat of course to cover my balding head and keep my face shaded. I wear sunscreen year around but apply it extra thick in summer.
Stay Hydrated
Whether you run, walk, bike or go out and shoot baskets, it makes sense to keep cool in hot weather. Everything I mentioned above is important, of course. But rule #1 is Avoid Dehydration: You need to help your body sweat and cool down by staying well-hydrated with water. (Please read my May 2019 post Keep Yourself Hydrated.)
If you’re going to be exercising for more than 75 to 90 minutes you may want to “pre-hydrate” before you begin. And then drink fluids every 20 – 30 minutes while active. If you’re on a bike, it’s easy keeping water bottles. If you’re walking or running you can hand-carry a bottle, or wear a hydration belt or even a hydration vest. And if you’re playing volleyball or basketball or softball, don’t forget to take regular water breaks. You might also add electrolytes to your water to help balance the extra sodium you loose through sweating.
Thinking I didn’t need to stop at all the water stations during a half marathon a couple of summers ago, I came down with heat exhaustion. I barely finished the race and spent the remainder of the day resting in the shade of my patio. I kept sweating for hours and drank gallons of cold water but luckily was okay the next day. And many years ago—when I was 20 and thought myself invincible—I would spent entire days with college friends playing on beaches without any kind of sunscreen. But I did this once too often and came down with heatstroke. That was major. I was placed in a bathtub filled with cold water but my temperature only slowly receded. I spent three days in bed recuperating.
Here’s more information on how heat affects your body with excerpts from the May 2017 Mayo Clinic online article: Heat and exercise: Keeping cool in hot weather.
How heat affects your body
Exercising in hot weather puts extra stress on your body. If you don’t take care when exercising in the heat, you risk serious illness. Both the exercise itself and the air temperature and humidity can increase your core body temperature.
To help cool itself, your body sends more blood to circulate through your skin. This leaves less blood for your muscles, which in turn increases your heart rate. If the humidity also is high, your body faces added stress because sweat doesn’t readily evaporate from your skin. That pushes your body temperature even higher.
Under normal conditions, your skin, blood vessels and perspiration level adjust to the heat. But these natural cooling systems may fail if you’re exposed to high temperatures and humidity for too long, you sweat heavily, and you don’t drink enough fluids.
The result may be a heat-related illness. Heat-related illnesses occur along a spectrum, starting out mild but worsening if left untreated. Heat illnesses include:
- Heat cramps.Heat cramps, sometimes called exercise-associated muscle cramps, are painful muscle contractions that can occur with exercise. Affected muscles may feel firm to the touch. You may feel muscle pain or spasms. Your body temperature may be normal.
- Heat syncope and exercise-associated collapse Heat syncope is a feeling of lightheadedness or fainting caused by high temperatures, often occurring after standing for a long period of time, or standing quickly after sitting for a long period of time. Exercise-associated collapse is feeling lightheaded or fainting immediately after exercising, and it can occur especially if you immediately stop running and stand after a race or a long run.
Heat exhaustion.With heat exhaustion, your body temperature rises as high as 104 F and you may experience nausea, vomiting, weakness, headache, fainting, sweating and cold, clammy skin. If left untreated, heat exhaustion can lead to heatstroke.- Heatstroke is a life-threatening emergency condition that occurs when your body temperature is greater than 104 F. Your skin may be dry from lack of sweat, or it may be moist.
You may develop confusion, irritability, headache, heart rhythm problems, dizziness, fainting, nausea, vomiting, visual problems and fatigue. You need immediate medical attention to prevent brain damage, organ failure or even death.
Pay attention to warning signs
During hot-weather exercise, watch for signs and symptoms of heat-related illness. If you ignore these symptoms, your condition can worsen, resulting in a medical emergency.
If you develop symptoms, you must lower your body temperature and get hydrated right away. Stop exercising immediately and get out of the heat. If possible, have someone stay with you who can help monitor your condition.
In cases of heatstroke, due to confusion and mental status changes, you won’t be able to treat yourself and you’ll require emergency medical care. The most effective way of rapid cooling is immersion of your body in a cold- or ice-water tub.
In cases of heat exhaustion, remove extra clothing or sports equipment. Make sure you are around people who can help you and assist in your care. If possible, fan your body or wet down your body with cool water.
You may place cool, wet towels or ice packs on your neck, forehead and under your arms, spray yourself with water from a hose or shower, or sit in a tub filled with cold water. Drink fluids such as water or a sports drink. If you don’t feel better within about 20 minutes, seek emergency medical care.
When to see a doctor
If you have signs of heatstroke, you’ll need immediate medical help. If your core temperature is less than 104 F, but it doesn’t come down quickly, you’ll also need urgent medical attention. In some cases, you may need fluids through intravenous (IV) tubes if you’re not able to drink fluids, or not able to drink enough fluids.
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Stay cool, stay well. Have a happy summer!