In hot weather, training at the right time of the day is vital, says Dr David Porter, a sports medicine physician at King Edward VII’s hospital and a former doctor of Chelsea Football Club. Exercising early in the morning or in the evening is best when the temperature has cooled, and he recommends avoiding strenuous activity between 11am and 4pm.
Dr David Porter: ‘Listen to your own body. When in doubt, stop and cool yourself down’
Drink water with ice – and consider electrolytes
We all need to increase fluid intake in hot weather – to a recommended 2 litres a day – and hydrating properly is even more important when exercising. Ian Gilham, the lead physiotherapist at Opus Biological, says dehydration can increase the risk of injury. “It’s not just water you’re losing, it’s salt. That’s why we get that salty taste in our mouth.”
Ice may help, too. A study in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise found that runners who drank ice slurry saw a greater drop in core temperature than those who drank cold water, and they then ran better at a 34°C temperature.
If you’re out of the direct sunlight and need less sun protection, Gilham recommends ditching a hat as it can stop you from releasing the heat from your head. The heat can pose other challenges. “You might get greater friction, rubbing problems, runner’s nipple. People just need to be aware and monitor themselves.”
Rest, reduce intensity and manage expectations
Gilham adds that “in hot conditions, unless you’re a professional or elite athlete, you should be looking to reduce the intensity.” He recommends switching to exercise that doesn’t get the heart rate up as much, for example, yoga.
Ian Gilham: ‘In hot conditions, unless you’re a professional, you should be looking to reduce intensity’
The terms “warm up” and “cool down” are pretty self-explanatory, and in the heat, it’s better to focus on the latter. “You’re already warm, so warm-ups can generally be shorter,” says Porter.
Gillham points out that a cool down is to “bring everything back down to base level – reduce the heart rate, reduce respiratory rate and core temperature.” To do this, ease yourself out of a workout, and don’t go from 100 to zero. He uses running as an example: “If you’ve run your last kilometre at your fastest speed, you don’t suddenly want to stop. Run another 200 metres 20 per cent slower, then another 200 to 300 metres another 20 per cent slower, and ease yourself into a walk.”
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“If you’re feeling a bit dizzy, if your vision changes at all, if you feel nauseous or sweating a lot more than you normally would, stop and cool yourself down to a normal temperature again. That makes the difference.”
In his time as a doctor for Chelsea, he saw players have seizures or fits due to this. “In those scenarios, the most important thing to do is to rapidly cool someone down. Get them covered in cold water, either sprinkle it over them or get them drinking cold water. Get as much fluid into them as possible, or put icy towels around their neck.”
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