Are you passionate about running? Here’s how cold and heat affect runners

Have you ever wondered how the outside temperature affects your performance? Science dispels all your doubts.

Are you passionate about running? Then you will surely have experienced the effects of heat and cold on your skin (and muscles). A little common sense is enough to understand when it is too cold and therefore you need to warm up your muscles before leaving, or when it is too hot and therefore you need to remember to drink and replenish mineral salts.

But have you ever wondered how temperatures, especially the most extreme, can affect your performance? What if they make you slower and more tired? Science comes to your aid. Let’s see what happens to your body when you run in low temperatures, and what happens when it’s hot.

The effect of cold and heat on the performance of runners

According to the studies reported by the journal to focusAnd The cold itself is not an obstacle To the race, like Running generates heat and heats up quickly. So your body quickly adapts to environmental conditions, but be careful if you are a woman, and if you are skinny: Skinny women suffer from the effect of cold more than menBecause your body temperature drops the most.

If the heat produced by the body is less than the heat circulating in the environment, You risk getting into hypothermia. Yes, even if you are running. What is the impact of this on performance? It decreases by 5% at temperatures of -20°C. If you are a runner in Italy you can feel reasonably safe!

As for the heatOn the other hand, the risks while riding are those of running Heat stress, drop in blood pressure, increase in heart rate and dehydration. That is why it is good to remember to make the necessary pauses so as not to stress the cardiovascular system and to drink water, possibly in combination with a mineral salt supplement.

Heat affects runners’ speed and performance

Also according to studies, optimal temperature to run in Short distance races Fits between 10 and 15 degrees Celsiuswhile l marathon swinging between 10 and 12 degrees Celsius. Those who had to contend with abnormal temperatures were the Brits who took part in the London Marathon 2018with a significant impact on performance: A study by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health found that Correlation between that day’s temperature and average scores of the participants.

Research has shown that temperature, the highest temperature ever recorded In 37 years of racing history with ben 24.1 °COwns Significantly slowed down from the average final time of the participants, which was worse than all other marathons.