Tip of the Week 29 Safe Summer running
By Julie Rayfield
Here’s a summary of research I’ve done on exercising in the heat and how to prevent problems.
At ABRaS we haven’t had any serious problems at any training sessions, but we have seen a very serious case in a 10k race (ask Jeremy). It is a risk running in the summer in Dubai, but if you take on board all the information below, there is no need to stop running.
Important points to remember when training in the summer:
- It takes 10-14 days to adapt to training in the heat and 3-4 months to adapt fully. Runners new to training in Dubai summers should keep this in mind. Also if you go away this summer to a cooler country for more than 2 weeks, you will need time to readapt on your return. Take it a bit easier for up to 2 weeks on your return.
- You should all be aware of the signs of heat stroke and heat exhaustion and know what to do if you suspect someone is suffering (from the heat, not Anna’s training!). Signs to look for include: cramps, dizziness, headache, nausea, chills, irrational behaviour including confusion and disorientation. For what to do see previous e-mail or Tip of the week 11 How to deal with a runner with heatstroke/heat exhaustion
- Hydration is of vital importance. Being more than two percent dehydrated in warm environments causes a decline in performance, but more importantly it puts you at greater risk of heat exhaustion, so always come to training well hydrated in summer.
PRE-HYDRATE TO RUN FAST
In a study in the April 2010 Journal of Athletic Training, runners who started a 12-K race dehydrated on an 80F day finished about two and a half minutes slower compared to when they ran it hydrated. Dehydration causes your blood volume to drop, which lowers your body's ability to transfer heat and forces your heart to beat faster, making it difficult for your body to meet aerobic demands and keep cool.
GO COLD FOR LONGER RUNS
In a study published in 2008 in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, cyclists who drank cold beverages before and during their workout exercised nearly 12 minutes longer than those who drank warm beverages. And in a study published this year, runners who had an ice slushy ran about 10 minutes longer than when they had a cold drink. In both cases, the drink that was colder lowered body temperature and perceived effort, allowing participants to exercise longer. You can achieve a similar effect by freezing your water before training. You can also try last weeks tip of using ice on your neck, which Anna also endorses!
WHAT TO DRINK?
Your mid-run fluid needs depend on how long you're going
ONE HOUR OR LESS:
Drink at least every 15 to 20 minutes. (It takes about 15 min to absorb the water so that your body can use it.) Water is usually fine, But for a tough run over 30 minutes, consider a sports drink to give you a kick of energy at the end. Try electrolyte tablets or low calorie sports drinks to prove the electrolytes lost through excessive sweating in the Dubai heat.
ONE TO FOUR HOURS:
Keep drinking at least every 15 to 20 minutes. A sports drink with carbs and electrolytes will replenish sodium. Prefer gels? Chase them with water to avoid sugar overload. Your body starts to significantly deplete stored sugars after 60 to 90 minutes of running. Reach for a drink that has about 60 grams of carbs (or about 120 to 240 calories) and about 300 to 1,000 milligrams of sodium per litre, such as Gatorade, PowerAde, Gleukos, Cytomax, and GU2O Sports Drink. Different brands use different forms of sugar, and some runners find their stomachs can handle one type better than another.
POSTRUN: Replace fluids, drinking enough so you have to use the bathroom within 60 to 90 minutes postrun. You can also check by weighing yourself (naked) before and after running. Each kilogram lost equals 1 litre of sweat lost and requires you to drink that much to replace the fluids. Try these drinks: recovery drinks, protein shakes, chocolate milk, smoothies. "Combining proteins with carbs increases glycogen stores in muscles and reduces the amount of muscle damage from exercise," says John Ivy, Ph.D., a professor of kinesiology at the University of Texas at Austin. Choose drinks or shakes, such as Myoplex Original, PowerBar Recovery, or Luna Sport Recovery Smoothie, that contain about a half gram of carbs and about .2 grams of protein per pound of body weight.
Or if you’ve had a really good run you could try these alternatives, which aren’t recommended by the coaching team (these really were on the Runners World website!):
http://www.runnersworld.com/article/0,7120,s6-242-302--12701-0,00.html
RACE DAY
Drink: Sports drinks with caffeine. Caffeine-enhanced sports drinks can be perfect for races or workouts when you haven’t had enough sleep (early morning or late night wadi runs).
One final point to remember if you are drinking a lot of sports drinks, is they are very bad for your teeth. Please brush well!
Tip of the Week 28 Top tip for keeping cool on hot runs
Tip of the Week 27 Top Training Tips From Amanda & Angus
(Or what NOT to do)
Tip of the Week 26 Strength and Fitness tests
Tip of the Week 25 Stretching
Tip of the Week 24 Rest and Recovery
Tip of the Week 23 Planning your season
Tip of the Week 22 Non-running training- Goal setting
Tip of the Week 21 How to know if you are addicted to your Garmin
Tip of the Week 20 How to calculate your training paces
Tip of the week 19 How to run downhill
Tip of the week 18 Healthy Runner’s Quinoa, feta and pomegranate salad
Tip of the week 17 The benefits of running barefoot
Tip of the week 16Yoga for runners
Tip of the week 15 Final days marathon advice
Tip of the week 14 Core Stability, Running Performance and Power Plate Offer
Tip of the week 13 Stretching
Tip of the week 12Strength training
Tip of the week 11 How to deal with a runner with heatstroke/heat exhaustion
Tip of the week 10 Tips from Tanvir
Tip of the week 9 Chaffing
Tip of the week 8 Tip from Terry Hislop
Tip of the week 7 Why we do drills and how to do them
Tip of the week 6 Tips from Janet
Tip of the week 5 Pacing
Tip of the week 4 Music to run to
Tip of the week 3 Tips from Emma
Tip of the week 2 Running quotes
Tip of the week 1 The spikey ball
