You’ll sweat more to help cool you down when you exercise in the heat, but that also means you’ll lose more water and minerals. You can become dehydrated or overheated, and your body can start to struggle. As researchers explain, your performance suffers because your heart is working harder and your muscles are tiring more quickly. If you’re losing too much fluid too rapidly through sweating, your blood volume can drop, and you’ll tire even faster.
Handling the heat could boost performance in the cold
If you can handle the heat, interesting research shows that heat training could give you a small boost when you’re exercising in cold weather. In a study published in the Journal of Science in Sport and Exercise, the goal was to assess the impact of heat acclimation on aerobic performance in hot conditions. The researchers also examined whether becoming more acclimated to heat through repeated heat exposure and heat training could improve aerobic performance in cooler or low-oxygen (similar to high-altitude) conditions.
The study methods
In this study, for three weeks, ten trained males completed two exercise interventions:
- Heat training: 36°C / 97°F
- Normal temperature training: 18°C / 64°F
The workouts were identical; the only thing that changed was the temperature. Before and after the exercise interventions, the researchers tested participants’ VO2 max peak and 20-minute exercise performance in hot, cool, and hypoxic (low-oxygen) environments.
The results
The study authors concluded the following:
- Training in the heat helps your body become more accustomed to handling heat over time. After heat training, the men had an increased VO2 peak, which refers to their ability to use oxygen while exercising.
- The men also improved their timed-trial performance in the heat, and their core and skin temperatures were lower overall. Over time, heat training helped them stay cooler in hot conditions.
- Their heart rates remained the same even when they exerted more effort, indicating cardiovascular improvements.
- Heat training didn’t enhance performance in low-oxygen environments, highlighting a need for altitude training.
- Training in normal temperatures didn’t show any improvements.
Boost performance in cold weather
For me, one of the most interesting takeaways from this study is that after heat training, their athletic performance improved in the cold, even though there was no increase in the VO2 peak. This could be due to better blood flow and efficiency of the cardiovascular system. In other words, if you power through those hot workouts, you’ll also get a small boost the next time you work out in the cold, too.
