Strategies for Training and Racing in the Heat

Chris Sweet
USAT Certified Triathlon Coach

(This is an outline of a longer presentation I gave to the Tri-Shark Triathlon Club. If something is unclear from these notes shoot me an e-mail or comment and I can elaborate.)

 About 75% of your energy expenditure during exercise results in heat!         

Before

• Proper heat management starts with your last workout
• High SPF/ Waterproof sunscreen.  Can do 1^st application night before
• Keep the hydration up all day long. At night you should be up to pee at least once.
• Urine should be light yellow, but multivitamins can make it darker
• When possible train in off-peak hours: early morning and evening
• During high heat consider the bike trainer or treadmill as more effective alternative to racing outside

Swim

• Don’t forget to hydrate during swim workouts
• Racing- can cut holes in the top of your swim cap
• Hot, but wetsuit legal swims.  Put ice inside your wetsuit. 
  

Bike

• White or light-colored clothing.
• White helmet
• Consider wearing a camelback pack with iced fluids to keep up with hydration
• Desoto arm coolers (white arm sleeves designed to keep you cooler)
• Racing: put extra water into your helmet vents and over your torso for extra cooling
• Monitor your peeing.  Should be about every 1.5 hours.

Run

• White hat (not visor).  Can douse with water/put ice under
• Racing: put ice from aid stations in your singlet and down your shorts (femoral artery)
• Racing: latex gloves filled with ice
• Racing: Reapply sunscreen if needed

Hot weather nutrition

• Take in electrolytes, but research shows they don’t help with cramping.
• Use water, but with gels/electrolyte drinks.  Too much water can cause hyponatermia
• If your drink has electrolytes additional salt tablets are usually not needed

Recovery

• Begin rehydrating immediately.  Key components are carbohydrate plus a little protein and a little electrolytes
• Foods for hydration: watermelon, cantaloupe, strawberries, smoothies, slimfast shakes
• For serious dehydration first recourse is an I.V.  Pedialyte is an effective home treatment for moderate dehydration

Know your sweat rate.

• This involves working out in a given temperature for a fixed amount of time and determining the rate at which you lose fluids.  Powerbar.com has a simple calculator to assist you with this: http://www.powerbar.com/calculators/sweat.aspx

Heat acclimation training

• The concept here is to regularly submit your body to training in the heat prior to an expected hot race.  Research shows this can be an effective strategy. Training in heat increases blood plasma volume over time and promotes other positive physiological adaptations to exercising in the heat.  It is not a “quick fix.”  Training in the heat the week before a race won’t help.  Adaptation occur over a 3-4 week time period.  Sessions need not be longer than 100 minutes. Acclimation must be maintained otherwise the positive effects begin to diminish.

What is sun poisoning? 

• Not real poisoning.  Just a severe sunburn.
• Symptoms include:  blisters, fever/chills, headache, nausea
• Treatment: cool bath/shower, ibuprofen or acetaminophen for pain, aloe gel, increased fluid intake for a few days following.

What is heat stroke?

• Heatstroke is a life-threatening condition that occurs when your body temperature reaches 104 F (40 C) or higher. Heatstroke can be brought on by high environmental temperatures, by strenuous physical activity or by other conditions that raise your body temperature. 
• Symptoms: 104+ body temperature (measured rectally when heat stroke is expected), bright red skin, abnormally high heart rate, light-headed, nauseous, extreme fatigue, headache, cramping, dark urine
• Treatment: Immersion in an ice water tub or coverage with ice water-soaked towels or evaporative cooling with cool mist and fans.

Additional Resources:

Tobjorn Sinballe on racing in the heat: http://triathlon.competitor.com/2011/05/training/inside-triathlon-archives-heat-training_29149

Collection of Runners World articles on training and racing in the heat: http://www.runnersworld.com/subtopic/0,7123,s6-238-267-269-0,00.html

 

Exertional Heat Illness during Training and Competition. Position stand from American College of Sports Medicine.  Authoritative, but technical: http://journals.lww.com/acsm-msse/pages/articleviewer.aspx?year=2007&issue=03000&article=00020&type=fulltext

Announcing Evotri - Quintana Roo Sponsorship!

Evotri Age Group Triathlon Team Partners with Quintana Roo

Chattanooga, Tenn. – August 17, 2011 – For the 2012 season, Quintana Roo is excited to partner with Team Evotri to provide each of the team members with the bike that Triathlete Magazine has called "the most innovative in the past decade from any brand," the CD0.1. The QR Shift Series is the only line of aerodynamic bikes designed specifically to minimize the substantial drag created by the drivetrain. QR's exclusive 18 millimeter offset downtube SHIFT Technology diverts concentrated airflow away from the drive side to produce a true, measureable bike-course advantage for every athlete at every level.

“We are very much looking forward to the partnership with Team EVOTRI for the upcoming season,” said Peter Hurley, QR CEO. “Having active social networking athletes on the CD0.1 for 2012 and beyond is an exciting direction Quintana Roo is heading.”

Team Evotri was conceived in 2007 based around the idea of finding out what happens when age group triathletes of all ability levels are provided with top coaching, technology and precision equipment. The team currently has eight members who share their journey via blogs, podcasts and social networking.

Evotri’s team model has been proven successful since 3 of the 8 age group athletes have qualified for the Ironman World Championships in Kona, Hawaii for the first time after joining the team. Other team members have also seen substantial improvements resulting from the team sponsorship package. The Evotri team also focuses on giving back to the triathlon community through organizing one of the fastest growing training camps for the Ironman distance. Held every summer, the Wisconsin Ironman Brick Adventure (WIBA) is a completely free weekend full of solid training, good sportsmanship and a wealth of knowledge.

Evotri Team Manager, Stu Joannes ("Simply Stu") states, "When I walked my rickety old bike into my first triathlon years ago, I remember seeing an incredible bike with a cool name - Quintana Roo. I told myself that one day I would ride one. Well, that day has finally come, and I couldn't be happier. The new CD0.1 is just an incredible ride that is packed with technology. I have come a long way since that first triathlon, and so has bike technology. My passion for the sport is only matched by the passion that Quintana Roo puts into bikes!"


Quintana Roo: http://www.quintanarootri.com/
Team Evotri: http://www.evotri.com/

Enroute to a Tuesday Night Time Trial Victory on board my new QR CD.01!