Summer is finally coming back, the beautiful season that everything flourishes, and with it comes the heat, humidity, mosquitoes and everything else. The change of season, from cold to hot, causes a profound discomfort to our bodies, which need time to acclimatise to the new temperatures.
This change of season is felt a lot by sportsmen and women, especially those who normally go jogging outdoors. This happens for a number of reasons, both psychological and physiological, and it is often not easy to understand how to behave.
However, there are a few guidelines that can help joggers not to suffer too much from this change.
Summer is finally coming back, the beautiful season that everything flourishes, and with it comes the heat, humidity, mosquitoes and everything else. The change of season, from cold to hot, causes a profound discomfort to our bodies, which need time to acclimatise to the new temperatures. This change of season is felt a lot by sportsmen and women, especially those who normally go jogging outdoors. This happens for a number of reasons, both psychological and physiological, and it is often not easy to understand how to behave.
Our body perceives temperatures differently. If you look at 15° C in autumn and spring, you will realise that your perception will be very different. Perhaps by going for a run at this time, perhaps when the sun has already gone down, we feel cold even if the temperature is high outside. This is because our body is not used to the warm weather, and this takes time. Our physique, however, is used to thermoregulating to keep us warm, whereas now it has to reverse course.
When the body has to work to keep us cool, unlike in winter, it has to make an extra effort to cool us down and keep the temperature at an acceptable level. And it does not always succeed. This feeling generates fatigue. It is like travelling to a country with the seasons reversed, and going from European cold to African heat. What happens? That our body goes into shock. And if you then try to run, you won't do more than a few hundred metres.
The body futilely attempts to regulate itself, producing intense sweating, which in turn causes a sharp increase in heart rate and dehydration. The dehydration itself, as if this were not enough, also causes muscle cramps and pain, stiffness and also a much greater feeling of fatigue.
One method of helping the body is to take plenty of water with electrolytes, e.g. magnesium and potassium. In any case, hydration becomes indispensable when the season changes: the amount of water to be taken in each day also rises to more than two litres. Very common is what some runners notice: the heart rate increases in hot weather, while the blood pressure decreases. Beware, therefore, of those suffering from low blood pressure. Better to opt for cool times to go out for a run.
The way of dressing in this season is also very important. The ideal this season is to wear loose clothing, not necessarily minimal, on the contrary. Better a long-sleeved but loose-fitting t-shirt than a tight tank top. The reason is quickly stated: for thermoregulation, tight-fitting, oppressive clothes are no good, better that air can pass directly through in contact with the skin.