Heat + Exercise

[Perry]

I sometimes spend time with her sister PINA KOLATA after a race.

Does your wife know about this?

But seriously, I think that part about not pouring water is bad advice. Water has a high specific heat which draws heat from the body, then at equilibrium temperature it has the saturation vapor pressure, which is what sweating tries to accomplish (and is slightly less due to salt content).

Hypothetically speaking, if your body stopped sweating even after the water dried, then you would be screwed. But I've never experienced that or heard of this happening to anybody. So applying a hot tub scenario to the desert just doesn't make any sense.

If I have a limited supply of water I always drink, never pour because some water is wasted as it drips off. But when there's lots of water...spray, pour, whatever....it works!

[Ellen]

Howdy All

Back from this year's visit to wine country and ready to hit the local mountains this weekend. YEEHAW!!!

I also disagree with the advice regarding not pouring water on one's head/body and wish I made that point when posting the article Pouring water on one's head/body provides at the very least some psychological relief from the heat. I'll never forget how fabulous it felt to squeeze the ice-cold sponges over my head during the bike portion of the Kona Ironman.

I soak my head whenever I get a chance and refer to my wet blond hair as my radiator

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

[zippetydude]

I think the most interesting part of the article was that it seemed universally true that the body actually learns how to adapt to the heat. This is quite remarkable to me. (The surface level explanation of "you just get used to it" isn't very interesting, it's the idea that our bodies make changes on the molecular level to bring about a sequence of events that improves our chances of survival that seems almost miraculous.)

I've run into guys at the gym who sit in the hot-box (dry sauna) in order to prepare for a competition in the heat. I had often wondered if it worked. I guess it does.

z