TIPS FOR CYCLING IN THE HEAT

Summer time, it's hot outside, which makes participating in outdoor cycling very difficult. In fact, the first point to understand is that heat and humidity will have a negative impact on your cycling performance. There is no getting around this, it is fact. You will not perform as well on a 90 degree day as you will on a 60 degree day because you expend a tremendous amount of energy dissipating heat and regulating your body temperature. How then do you continue to ride in the heat? Two things you can do and they are: heat acclimatization and hydration.

Heat Acclimatization

Before beginning strenuous exercise in the heat, begin by exposing oneself to exercise heat stress gradually and on consecutive days. Heat acclimatization is a process by which we become physiologically more tolerant to high heat conditions. It allows you to ride longer and faster in hot weather than you could before acclimating to the heat.  Heat acclimatization will also decrease your risk of heat illnesses such as, heat syncope, heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Here are some key facts and tips when it comes to the acclimatization process:

1. Heat acclimatization happens fairly quickly. Most of the gains occur in the first 4-9 days of training. Full acclimatization occurs in about 14 days. Make sure to plan accordingly if you are a competitor and start acclimatization about 2.5 weeks prior to your race.

2. Begin the acclimatization process by riding during cooler parts of the day at a lower intensity and volume. Gradually increase your volume and intensity. Once you have adapted to the cooler temps begin riding at a lower intensity and volume during hotter parts of the day.

3. Workouts performed in cooler conditions can be higher in intensity and longer in duration so if possible try to complete those higher intensity workouts cooler temperatures.

4. Pay close attention to how your body responds to riding and racing in the heat. Different people can be affected in different ways. Keep a log of your eating and drinking habits along with your workout and the temps and humidity for that day.

Hydration

Hydration has a significant impact on cycling performance and is especially important in hot weather. Dehydration of only two percent of your total body weight can impair your performance. Dehydration of five percent can reduce your work output by as much as 10 percent. When it comes to effective hydration, keep these points in mind:

1. Determine your hydration needs by estimating your sweat rate. How? Weigh yourself on a digital scale prior to a brisk, one-hour ride. Then weigh yourself again after the ride. If you have lost one pound you are down 16 ounces of fluid. Repeat this process frequently to get a good sense of your sweat rate in different temperatures.

2. Always bring two full bottles on every ride and drink 4-8 ounces of fluid every 15 minutes. For high temperature rides of more than an hour, consider using a hydration system, or plan water stops along your ride. Second, by freezing the water (or filling it with ice), the hydration pack or bottles can help lower your core temperature which will allow you to ride at higher intensity for longer.

3. Arrive to your workout or event well hydrated. The hydration process starts a few days before your ride or race. How do I know I am well hydrated? The color of your urine when well hydrated will be clear, if not keep drinking. Make sure to drink plenty of fluids the day before, the day of, and the day after your workout.

4. Decide what to drink and make sure it's cold. For workouts that will last an hour or less, water is sufficient. For rides that last over an hour, use a sports drink to replace carbohydrates and electrolytes. This is particularly important in high heat conditions. Try out different drinks to see what works best for you but never try something new the day of an event.
 
5. Drink before you get thirsty. The reason for this is simple. The dehydration process begins long before you feel thirsty. Get in the habit of drinking from your bottle every 15 minutes whether you feel thirsty or not, as this will minimize the chances of becoming dehydrated.

Our Nutrition Expert...Tara Marple

Health That Snuffs The Morning Air

by Tara Marple

When you look around the gym, your workplace or at social events (or Disneyland like I did this past weekend), you can usually see what you would call healthy people and unhealthy people.


If you talk to them, though, you will find the habits that just don’t match up with true, wholesome health. In other words, glowing health that is sound of mind and body, and constantly fresh. Specifically defined, being fit and healthy is having superlative physical and mental function. My question has always been…What do I have to do to accomplish this? Who do I have to be? And please let there be a magic key!!! In these days when there is so much disease, I almost feel like we are scrambling to find the right concoction of supplements, fitness and healing food to get to normal, let alone fantastic, health. I’d like to share three things that I have found to work for my own health and when leading others in achieving theirs.


As we have found, nutrition and fitness can be intimidating on our own. I believe in having a “team” of people who help and support us. As we experience various forms of support like trainers, massage therapist, nutritionists, chiropractors, general health docs, Yoga and support groups, we can then decide those things that we cannot function happily without. Whatever it takes! YOLO (You Only Live Once) right?! So sample various forms of support and make a list of those you want to make a routine support system.


Next subject is weight maintenance. Ugh! What a constant struggle. The mistake we make as a society is to believe the marketing labels on our foods. Food companies can make any claims they want to make in their marketing. Yes, they probably aren’t lies, but they always omit truths. If we stick to fresh foods for the most part, we aren’t being bamboozled by “low fat, whole grain or fortified”. When we eat fresh we don’t have to count calories and look for low fat foods. AND, one of my mantras is “Don’t trust anyone else to feed you!” Superlative health is a big lofty goal! Going to a restaurant and trusting exactly what is on the menu is leaving it up to them to feed our precious bodies – will this lead us on the path to optimal health? My suggestion is to ask questions and make requests. If you ask with grace and politeness, it is usually no problem. As well, when you are going to be gone for the day, plan ahead and bring your own food. You don’t know what you will be able to find along the way so be conscious and prepared.


Last, know your health status. Things may look fine and function just fine, but the benefit of modern medicine and traditional medical studies is that they all have tests to define imbalances. For example, combining blood tests for hormone levels with Chinese medicine for signs of low chi in our vital organs is ideal, and we have that access to take advantage of. Out of all the hormones that our pituitary gland releases at various times during the day, one hormone to keep an eye on is cortisol. If you get tested and your thyroid and cortisol levels are just below the abnormal range (in other words the danger zone where you would be medicated), this is a sign that you are not functioning at your “superlative” level of health. For those of you who really want to get things DONE in this life, help loads of people, be a leader or the best grandma there ever was, subclinical levels are a huge red flag. If you are feeling lethargic, having cravings for wine, chocolate, etc. and being often overwhelmed doesn’t mean you are fine in the definition of health, it means “WAKE UP”! Heal yourself with food, stress relief and support.


So in review, the three things to get from this article are: YOLO! Get a team of professionals and friends to support your goals. Next, only trust yourself to feed yourself, do the research and speak up for your needs. And finally, know your health status and be confident that you can heal and balance yourself with the right food choices and stress solutions. Now go on, be the ultimate you and know you’re supported!

 

 

Tara Marple specializes is helping her clients UP THEIR GAME in life. She utilizes expertise in nutrition coaching, meal timing for hormone balance, techniques for gaining mental focus and therapeutic bodywork to maximize their training and recovery for accomplishing ideal body composition, fitness goals and personal and professional growth. You can reach her by visiting www.vitalspiritwellness.com.