Exercise in summer: what to take into account to train at this time of year?

“People who exercise in hot conditions have high sweat rates. He fluid intake on demand is not enough to completely replace sweat losses,” he said. Juan Pablo Novo, Physical Education teacher and Nutritionist (MP 3487), registered in the College of Nutritionists of the Province of Buenos Aires.

“The dehydrationthat is, the imbalance between the intake and output of liquids, is associated with the possibility of cramps, reduced gastric emptying of ingested fluids in exercise, cognitive difficulties to process information, fatigue and heat stroke, the latter can endanger the life of the person, “he added.

Knowing the importance of these processes, it is essential to plan the hydration strategies that allow maintaining an optimal fluid and electrolyte balance to improve performance and ensure well-being.

“A key concept is to understand that feeling thirsty is an emergency signal, it means that our body already shows signs of dehydration. No athlete or person who is training should feel thirsty while exercising ”, warned the nutritionist.

He Buenos Aires College of Nutritionists recommends

• drink from six to eight milliliters of fluids per kilogram of body weight two hours before exercise.
• During exercise, start drinking early as regular intervalseach 10 or 15 minutesfor prevent the dehydration.
• The ingested fluids must be cooler than room temperature and if they have flavorings better so that they are more pleasant and stimulate their consumption.
• If the events last more than 60 minutes or the temperature and/or humidity conditions are extreme add carbohydrates or electrolytes, sodium mainly. This does not interfere with the water supply and improves performance.

Beyond fluid replacement guidelines, Novo advised “avoid hours in which sun exposure and temperature are harmful to the body and look for ventilated and shaded spaces”. Likewise, he suggested “choosing aquatic practices or disciplines, since it is a good way to reduce the impact of exercise in the heat and helps to sustain the habit of continuing to train at this time of year.” In turn, the nutritionist considered that children and older adults are populations at risk from heat Therefore, establishing hydration breaks during exercise is essential.

It is important to know that heat is serious. Customize strategies hydration with a nutrition professional help to get the maximum performance in training and / or competitions as well as avoid health complications.