Tips for Staying Safe in the Heat
• Respect your limits. Heat and humidity increase the physical
challenge of running, and health problems can occur when you push beyond what
your body can handle. Do not aim for a personal best on a warm, sticky day,
particularly if you are not used to such conditions.
• Acclimate. It takes 10 days to two weeks for the body to
acclimate to keeping cool at higher temperatures. Give your body time to
adjust.
• Know the signs of heat problems. If you feel faint, dizzy,
disoriented, or your skin is clammy and abnormally hot or cold, slow down or
stop running. If symptoms continue, sit or lie down in the shade and seek
medical help.
• Drink enough. Drink throughout the day, so that your urine
remains plentiful and pale yellow. Even mild dehydration (scant, dark-yellow
urine) will make you feel sluggish and tire early during exercise, and can
increase the risk of heat-related problems during exercise. In the heat, sports
drinks are even better than water because the sugar and salt they contain form
an "active pump" that transports fluid to cells more quickly than
water alone. Before workouts or races lasting longer than one hour in the heat,
drink 16 ounces of fluid several hours in advance, another 16 ounces in the
hour before, and more just before the start if your urine isn't pale.
• Don't drink too much. Overhydrating before and during
exercise can cause a dangerous condition known as hyponatremia (water
intoxication). This drop in the body's sodium levels can cause nausea, fatigue,
vomiting, weakness, and in the most severe cases, seizures, coma, and death. To
avoid hyponatremia, do not overdrink, include pretzels or a salted bagel in
your pre-run meal, and use a sports drink that contains sodium. During
exercise, drink no more than a cup of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes.
• Eat a good pre-race meal a few hours before the run. Try a
bagel with peanut butter and a banana—the protein and carbs will fuel your
effort and aid in recovery.
• Consume salt. Eat salted foods like a salt bagel, salted
pretzels, or salted nuts. If you’re planning to race, eat salted foods all week
prior to the event. On race day, consume one fast-food salt packet at the start
line. Have another salt packet halfway through the race.
• Protect yourself from the sun. Wear a cap or visor to shield
your head, face, and eyes from the sun’s burning rays, and wear sunglasses to
protect your eyes. Use sunscreen on exposed skin, even on overcast days.
• Check your meds. Do not consume products like cold
medicines, ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or anti-diarrhea medicines with
dehydrating agents in them. They may increase your risk for heat illness.
Caffeine products are only OK in doses you are used to taking on training day.
Do not start taking a caffeine product on race day.
• Wear synthetic fabrics. Unlike cotton, synthetics wick
moisture from your skin so cooling evaporation can occur. Synthetics also
decrease chafing and don't cling and cause a chill. Look for loose-fitting
garments with mesh inserts under the arms, on the sides of the torso, down the
arms, and on the outer thighs. Acrylic socks keep feet dry and cool.
• Use water along the course (cups, spray stations) to cool yourself
during races. If you are overheating, a cool spray will cool you down
quickly and have a lasting effect as the water evaporates from your skin. Keep
in mind, though, that drenched clothing will cling to skin and prevent evaporation,
and wet socks can cause blisters, so use this strategy wisely.
