Mastering the Heat: How to Train and Race Effectively in Excessive Heat Conditions

Racing in the heat is tough. No two ways about it. However, how tough it is, is largely up to you!

Like anything, your training matters! If you know you have a race this year that is likely or even possibly going to be excessively hot, you have to prepare yourself for that heat! Those who show up on race day and expose themselves to conditions they've never trained in WILL SUFFER!

Wide trail with sunlight filtering through trees.

Does this mean you should do every single workout outside, in full sun exposure, at the hottest part of the day, in the desert? No. Like all things, it's about slowly building a tolerance and about planning strategically.

Some of our workouts are specifically aimed at building speed and power with tough intervals at paces that are at or above race pace. Is this a good time to go work on heat acclimation? Nope! For these high intensity efforts you're already maxing out what your cardiovascular system is capable of while trying to increase the power in your legs. High amounts of heat are going to increase your heart rate and reduce your maximum speed capacity, which means you aren't going to get the real benefit of the workout.

Instead, use workouts that are targeting lower aerobic training zones. You'll still likely need to lower your paces at first to compensate for the added strain of the heat, but these workouts aren't aimed at speed development anyway, so that's not a problem.

How often? Like anything and everything in endurance training- it need to RAMP. Start with one short workout when it's a bit warm out and build from there slowly increasing the amount of time/workouts and the temperature you're exposing yourself to. Don't live in a warm climate? You may have to get creative and train indoors with the heat on, or sit in a sauna right before a workout to increase your body temperature.

Running track under the bright sun showing wide visibility.

What about nutrition? There are a couple things to consider with regard to nutrition. First, hydration. In high heat, you obviously sweat more so will need to increase your fluid and electrolyte intake. But, how much? This is where it gets tricky because everyone is different! You can try a sweat test, or you can weight yourself before and after a hot workout to try to figure out how much water weight you're losing. Really, experience and experimentation are the tried and true methods to finding what's right for you. So, again, get out there and do the training and you'll learn what works.

1. Pre-Hydration: Stay well-hydrated in the hours before your workout. Aim for at least 500-700 ml of water or sports drink beforehand.

   
   

2. Hydration During Workouts: For workouts exceeding an hour, carry fluids. A balanced electrolyte drink can replace lost minerals, particularly sodium and potassium.

   
   

3. Post-Workout Hydration: Replenish your fluids immediately after your workout. Aiming to drink 1.5 times the fluid lost can help you recover properly.

   
   

But what about calories? Calories are tough because when your body is hot and your HR is high, food doesn't tend to digest well and may even be fairly unappealing. Many athletes choose to switch to more liquid based calories in the heat, since hydration will certainly be appealing and liquid calories generally digest fairly easily. Again, experiment and find what works for you!

Sports drink bottle on a bench ready for hydration.

It may be difficult to believe, but if you're disciplined in your approach to heat acclimation, you can build an incredible tolerance and ability to perform in even extreme heat! And this will actually turn into a strong ADVANTAGE over those who didn't prepare themselves!