After the recent spell of cold and wet weather, we’re now heading into a period of high temperatures. That can become quite challenging if you want to continue your training as usual or even take part in a race. We’ll show you what to look out for and share some effective strategies to stay cool.
For endurance sport, ideal conditions are temperatures between 10 and 20°C, relative humidity of 40 to 60%, light wind and cloudy skies. In these conditions, the body neither needs to generate extra heat nor work hard to cool itself down, allowing it to devote its energy fully to movement and performance. However, when air temperatures climb towards 30°C, as they are now, the body faces a real challenge. On the one hand, these conditions are often unfamiliar. On the other, the body has to start regulating its core temperature just minutes after starting exercise to prevent it from rising too much. This leads to a higher heart rate at the same pace and increased lactate levels or, in other words, reduced performance the longer the effort continues.
Fortunately, the human body adapts remarkably well. With targeted training, it can handle even the most extreme conditions – including heat. Anyone who spends five to ten days training in warmer conditions and regularly raises their core temperature during exercise can improve their ability to cope with heat. However, if you’re already racing during this period, or want to perform at your best in a hot-weather race, it’s worth focusing on the following cooling strategies:
Before exercise, the aim is to lower body temperature in a controlled way to delay fatigue and performance decline.
Possible cooling methods:
Specific measures are used to cool the body during exercise. As the benefits of precooling typically last only around 20 to 25 minutes, additional cooling strategies are needed during longer efforts. Possible cooling methods include:
After exercise, the goal is to reduce core body temperature as quickly as possible to support recovery and restore performance faster. The same cooling methods used for precooling can also be applied here.
After several strong performances in road races, the 28-year-old became Swiss champion in trail running in mid-April and will represent Switzerland for the first time at the European Off-Road Running Championships in Slovenia this June.
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