Many people talk about adjusting to the heat and humidity during the summer when they're running, and I was wondering if there were some physiological benefits to training in heat -- i.e. if the same processes of acclimation would help a runner racing in cooler weather.
Of course, the hypothetical runner would be well-hydrated to minimize the risk of heat-related injuries.
In short:
Does training at 90 degrees help any physiological process to become any more efficient at 50 degrees?
Thanks.
I know that training in that heat results in an adaptation within about 2 weeks; as I have experienced it myself. The only benefit I know of that segues into cooler climes...is that it becomes much easier to run in that environment. In other words, it feels like you're flying...as your body, which has adapted to heat, now has a more efficient air conditioning system for cooling and the 5 miles fast that was brutal at 90 degrees...now feels lile a breeze in 70 degrees. Sorry if thats not enough of a physilological explanation...but it is a fact.
Q
This question gets asked all the time. The answer: although training in the heat will help you acclimate to a hot race, it will not improve your fitness or race times in milder temperatures.
There are MANY things, aside from heat or humidity, which can make a run more onerous -- running with a backpack, with ankle weights, or while juggling. If you become accustomed to such a burden, subtracting it will always make running seem easier. However, very few extraneous burdens actually yield a training benefit -- i.e., faster race times than would have been obtained without ever undertaking the burden. Altitude and hills are two notable exceptions.
If you understand the physiological effects of heat, then you will appreciate why it does not help training. The body responds to heat by diverting blood to the skin. Increased blood flow to the skin for cooling results in less blood flow through the muscles, and taxes the heart. Note that a reduction of blood to the muscles lowers the ceiling on the work they can perform, thereby limiting training. When running in the heat is prolonged, dehydration through sweat reduces the blood supply and also increases blood thickness, further taxing the heart. The net result of hot weather training: because the cardiovascular system plays a central role in cooling the body, at any given level of cardiovascular intensity, the muscles can do less work in the heat. This is not a formula for successful training.
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