How to exercise in the summer heat?
We are halfway through a summer full of sport: the European Championship, the Olympic Games, the Paralympic Games or the start of the football leagues in mid-August encourage us to be more active and motivate us to exercise. The key question is: is it possible to exercise during the summer? One of the examples of training in this period was Chris Hemsworth, famous actor of the character of Thor in the different Marvel films, when in 2017, to prepare for the film Thor: Ragnarok, he showed his training in the Australian summer combining outdoor activities, strength work or boxing, all in a warm climate with high temperatures. However, we must consider how we can approach it to do it in a suitable and healthy way. According to a recent systematic review that studied 29 studies with 561 participants, training during the summer is not only feasible, but can be beneficial for the body's acclimatization to heat, an aspect that can improve physical performance in the long term. Research highlights that extreme heat can be a challenge, although many people manage to maintain or even increase their level of physical activity during the summer months, taking advantage of higher temperatures that allow for improved cardiovascular efficiency and body temperature regulation. Therefore, we must be clear that adapting training schedules is the key: the first hours of the day or the last hours of the evening will allow you to avoid that more intense and exhausting heat in order to exercise. According to scientific evidence, different aspects must be considered in order to have a safe and healthy activity. Firstly, at a metabolic level, different effects occur depending on the time of day at which the exercise is performed. For trained people, doing it in the early hours of the morning will allow them to speed up their metabolism, so that they can burn calories during the rest of the day. Heat adaptation will also occur due to a decrease in core and skin temperature during exercise, producing adaptations in performance and greater tolerance to exercise at high temperatures compared to other seasons of the year. It is worth remembering that, in women, physiological adaptations may involve less sweating and a less pronounced increase in body temperature, which would imply greater heat retention during exercise compared to men. Another benefit of exercising in the morning is exposure to natural light, generating greater melatonin production at night, improving the circadian rhythm (or internal clock) and therefore the quality of sleep, reducing cortisol and stress levels, and producing more restful sleep. Therefore, it is recommended to exercise early (the best time is considered before 9:00 in the morning), reducing possible thermal stress and dehydration. Exercising in the afternoon during the summer can have some benefits because the body temperature is higher, which affects the muscles and joints when exercising more efficiently, and can reduce the risk of injury. Likewise, by eating throughout the day, we can face exercise with a better disposition and higher energy levels, increasing performance in the activity to be performed and better adaptation to the heat. Exercising in the afternoon in the summer reduces the stress accumulated during the day and can help improve sleep quality, but this depends on leaving enough time for the body to cool down after exercise so that sleep is not disturbed. It is recommended that the activity be carried out after 6:00 p.m., when the temperature drops, avoiding the hottest hours (from 12:00 to 5:00 p.m.), which will reduce the risk of dehydration and heat stroke. On the other hand, the intensity of the exercise is key. More intense activities such as running or cycling should be done at lower temperatures (early in the morning or in the afternoon) to ensure that there are no risks involved in exercising, even if this means less adaptation to the heat. It is worth remembering that consistency in exercising at the same times generates better adaptation, and the exercise is more enjoyable, which is why moderate-intensity and healthier exercise such as walking in a natural environment or on routes with little gradient on a bicycle is preferable to activities with less intensity. Generally speaking, some recommendations can be offered to help the reader exercise safely and healthily during the summer. You should be well hydrated (before, during and after exercise), regardless of the time of day, wearing light sports clothing that protects from the sun (using a cap if there is a lot of direct sunlight on the head area) and that allows sweat to pass through, as well as using sun protection if the activity is done outside with exposure to the sun's rays. In addition, we should pay special attention to how we feel before and during the exercise, avoiding continuing with the activity if we feel very tired, dizzy or very hot. We should avoid that image of a person running or riding a bicycle at the hottest hours, with temperatures close to 40 degrees, sweating and feeling like they are going to collapse at any moment. To keep moving during the summer, common sense and health should prevail when exercising.