Running in Hot Weather

One of the most common questions I’ve been asked in recent weeks is about running in hot weather and in particular racing in the heat. 

During the summer months, we spend a lot of time running in hot weather and over time we can start to become acclimatised to the heat, to some degree. 

Running in the heat can dramatically effect performance, however the decrement can be reduced with heat acclimatisation. If you have an event coming up in the heat, it might be worth starting to make plans to get used to the temperature and conditions you may face on race day by starting to acclimatise now. 

If like many you don’t have the luxury of attending a warm weather training camp prior to race day, there are things you can do at home to help you prepare for running in hot weather. Running at a warmer time of the day, especially for easier runs is one way to start getting used to the increase in temperature. Simulating heat is also possible by training on a treadmill indoors or layering up on runs and following a training session with a hot water bath or sauna to take advantage of your elevated body temperature from your run. 

If you do start to make changes to prepare for the heat, it’s very important to ensure your hydration levels are optimal. When sweating you lose excess salts and fluids, so it’s vital you replace these, prior to running, during and post training. I’d recommend electrolytes, which are very efficient at replacing the salts lost when sweating. Hydration is very important for athletes to perform well and ensure their safety in the heat. I use urine as a guide to measure hydration as it’s important not to over- hydrate, as this can have serious health consequences.

You can also measure body weight before and after exercise to help assess fluid losses through sweating and estimate hydration needs whilst using the urine chart left.

On race day, I would recommend warming up in the shade if possible. If you’re driving to a race, blast the air con in the car to pre cool. Ice vests or simply soaking yourself in cold water on the start line can also help provide effective cooling prior to the start of the race. Protect your eyes with sunglasses and skin using a non-greasy sun cream. Lightly coloured clothing and light technical fabrics should be used to help you stay cool. As always practice in training before hand to work out what works best for you, especially when it comes to sun cream and the comfort of sunglasses and/or cap. 

Ready to train for your next event? Head over to our training plans page to give your training structure and focus.