We've been pretty fortunate here in the Midwest to not have a super hot spell for weeks on end. But finally, this past week we got hit with a short one. I think it took a lot of people by surprise. What looking at Facebook statuses complaining about running in the heat and people avoiding going outside because it's too hot. Come on! This is nothing new. We get it every year. Whether it's a week or a month, we get some really hot days.
Everyone I know seems to have their own way of dealing with it. Some people just avoid it. They stay inside, on the trainer or at the gym, not wanting to fight the sweat and water loss, or the scorching temperatures. Some people are gung-ho about it and get out there, take it on, but don't really change much. Then there's some who just stop doing thing all together and sit around and bitch about it. Well you know what? I still get out there, asthma and all, working my butt off, so why can't you? My asthma seems to effect me the most in two cases, extreme heat/humidity and elevation.
Now, let's talk about some approaches to training in the heat. For some people, they just chug more and more water, thinking that will solve all their problems. To an extent, this is going to help much more than doing nothing, but you still need more.
Going beyond that, many people will add electrolytes to their drinks or supplement them. Great! Many of them adding loads and loads of sodium. Great as well! You're doing well! But one thing a lot of people miss out on is another electrolyte that's not so common and can really aid in keeping your muscles firing and avoiding cramps when the going gets tough. One product many people turn to out there is Hammer Nutrition Endurolytes. This is a great option, however, for guys like me who are a little larger and sweat more than a normal person, the 40mg of Sodium and 25mg of Potassium isn't going to cut it. So the only option is to take more. Which, is ok, but why have to take more than the prescribed amount?
I've been leaning mostly on First Endurance EFS for my electrolyte complex drink. As well as Salt Stick Caps. These combined will give me (and you) a greater amount of electrolytes without having to overindulge like you would with other drink/capsule combos. Now there is the option of adding some Endurolytes powder to an already charged drink, so you can play that game as well. The biggest thing is finding the combination that works right for you.
Want a test? Go out riding on a hot day. Wear some darker colored jersey and get after it. When you're done, let the jersey dry out and see if you get the 'salt ring'. What that is is a buildup of salt coming from your sweat. The more dense the ring of white on your dark jersey, the more salt you are losing during training. So plan accordingly. Just because you're losing sweat, doesn't meant you're not properly replenishing, it's just some of us lose more than others.
For me, I recently went out in the 95 degree heat on a tough 40 mile ride with some hills and really worked them. I had some salt tabs to go along with my EFS, which got me through the ride. As well as a gel and a Probar. My buddy Brandon, below, had some gels, EFS and some G2 in his water bottles. I think a little more sodium and probably some more food would have helped him finish stronger. He started to fade fast around mile 35. But this was his first effort longer than 30 miles and by far the most climbing he had done. Nearly double anything he had done before.
Take care of yourself when you're out there in the heat. Know ahead of time how you may, or may not, react to hot and humid conditions. Take in plenty of fluid, but also remember to eat. You're not just losing water in your sweat, you're losing vital nutrients as well. Things you won't find in water and electrolyte drinks.
-Dave
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