It’s HOT!

I’m training for two upcoming marathons and that means lots of outdoor running. A few Saturdays ago, I went on my usual 6am run but I could tell it was going to be unusually hard just because it felt so humid, not to mention this is the hottest August (on avg.) we’ve had in Houston. When you take those hot temps and add humidity, it’s extra hard on the body and can make it feel like it’s 10-15 degrees hotter. I wanted to share this chart with you so that you can see what exactly your body is dealing with. If you live in Houston or another humid city, you need to take extra precautions to keep your body cool during outdoor workouts. Even as the Fall approaches, temps + humidity can continue to take their toll.

This chart represents the Heat Index, which is the temperature your body feels when the heat and humidity are combined. *Keep in mind that the chart is actually based on partial shade and with light wind. Exposure to direct sunlight can increase the Heat Index by up to 15°F!!

		Relative Humidity (%)
		40	45	50	55	60	65	70	75	80	85	90	95	100
	110	136	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
	108	130	137	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
	106	124	130	137	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
	104	119	124	131	137	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
	102	114	119	124	130	137	–	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
	100	109	114	118	124	129	136	–	–	–	–	–	–	–
	98	105	109	113	117	123	128	134	–	–	–	–	–	–
	96	101	104	108	112	116	121	126	132	–	–	–	–	–
	94	97	100	102	106	110	114	119	124	129	135	–	–	–
	92	94	96	99	101	105	108	112	116	121	126	131	–	–
	90	91	93	95	97	100	103	106	109	113	117	122	127	132
	88	88	89	91	93	95	98	100	103	106	110	113	117	121
	86	85	87	88	89	91	93	95	97	100	102	105	108	112
	84	83	84	85	86	88	89	90	92	94	96	98	100	103
	82	81	82	83	84	84	85	86	88	89	90	91	93	95
	80	80	80	81	81	82	82	83	84	84	85	86	86	87

*Source: National Weather Service

Approximately 400 people die each year from exposure to heat, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. All that gross sweat is actually serving a purpose and is a good thing.  Your body uses sweat to cool itself through evaporation and once your sweat starts to evaporate, your body temp drops. This why it’s more dangerous in humid conditions: sweat won’t evaporate as much and thus, your body stays hotter.

Tips to remember:

• Limit your outdoor activity to morning and evening hours.
• Cut down on exercise. Your normal 4 mile run may be really hard…so either scale back the distance or pace, or both!
• Stay hydrated! Start hydrating your body the day before if you can and then you will need fluids before, during and after your runs. You will most likely need  a sports drink with some electrolytes, sodium and potassium especially if you are sweating a lot or working out more than 30-60minutes. See Sweat Rate Below…
• Don’t forget sunscreen, sunglasses or a hat. I always run with a hat.

Calculate Your Sweat Rate (Good Rule for Runners):

Weigh yourself before and after your workout. 1lb weight loss=1pint fluid loss. For example, if you lose 2 pounds during an hour run, that’s 2 pints or 32 ounces (your “sweat rate”). Thus, you need 8 ounces of water or sports beverage every 15 minutes to replenish your sweat.