Training and warmth What guidelines do you have to take into account to avoid heat stroke?

There is a complicated time for those athletes who perform their training abroad. Known How heat affects your body and what guidelines you should take into account to prevent the dreaded heatstroke.

Advice when training in hot situations

Increases hydration and adapts the diet.

Keep your body hydrated throughout the day, including during training, and include seasonal foods with high water content in your diet and avoid those that produce or favor dehydration (alcohol, fats and sugars).

Avoid the central hours of the day.

Between the 12 and the 17 hours it is not advisable to perform exercise since in this range the temperatures are higher. Try to adapt your workouts to the first hours of the morning or the last of the afternoon.

Use proper clothing.

Some false myths spread without foundation can make you believe that sweating is related to fat burning, but it is not true. Therefore, look for clothing that favors the evaporation of heat and light colors. In addition, the use of accessories such as caps or visors is highly recommended to protect you from the sun.

Listen to your body.

It is very likely that days of high temperatures will cause feelings of lack of energy or fatigue at similar intensity levels and even lower than other days. Adapt the workouts so as not to make extreme efforts that can take your toll.

Make a period of acclimatization.

Possibly by objectives or other needs you have to train in hot situations. If this is so, we recommend that, in addition to following the above guidelines, make a progressive adaptation in terms of the duration and intensity of the workouts you perform in these conditions and controls parameters such as heart rate, sweating and body temperature.

How to detect heat stroke

The dreaded and dangerous heat stroke occurs when the body is not able to eliminate heat through sweating, mainly in very hot and / or humid environments that cause dehydration.

Some symptoms that can alert us about the risk of heat stroke when we perform a workout in hot and / or humid conditions are:

• Headache
• Fatigue
• Confusion, blurred vision, dizziness
• High rise
• Nausea, vomiting
• Dryness and redness of the skin
• Muscle cramps

                                                                                                                                                         Do not risk your health and listen to your body to be able to carry out your workouts in a healthy way during the summer

Laura García Cervantes

Dra. Science of Physical Activity and Sport

Club Trikatlón Tres Cantos Sports Director

Triathlon and Swimming Senior Trainer

Paratriathlon Specialist Trainer