By Andy Blow...
You’ve probably experienced yourself that pouring a bucket of cold water over your head is a pretty efficient way to cool down your body (remember the “ice bucket challenges” that were all the rage on social media a while back?).And pouring or squeezing water over your head is also a tactic you see quite often among athletes who are competing in extreme conditions. But what is best to do during a competition to cool down: pouring the water over your head or drinking it? And are there any other options to better tolerate the heat?
To pour or not to pour?
A 2012 study attempted to answer this question. They tested 4 different methods of cooling down during a 90-minute walk followed by a 5 km test run in warm conditions (32°C). The 4 conditions were:
Do not drink anything or pour water over your head
Drink cold water but don't pour anything over your head
Don't drink anything but pour the water over your head
Drink cold water and also pour some water over your head.
The 10 athletes who took part in the study were all of a decent level and were sufficiently trained to perform strenuous physical activities.The results showed that the athletes felt worst when neither drinking nor pouring water over their heads was given, but that should come as no surprise. In the conditions where water was poured over their heads, the athletes reported that they “felt” it did them the most good, and there was also a decrease in heart rate when drinking cold water.However… despite these signals, there was no difference in performance during the 5 km test run. So it turned out that whether or not the athletes had drunk or poured water over their heads made no difference to performance on the 5 km. Running performance on a short, high-intensity distance was not affected. As for body temperature, there was a marginal decrease when the athletes drank water or poured water over their heads compared to doing nothing. However, the difference was so small that it had no effect on performance over the 5 km. When you read all this, it seems that drinking water or pouring water over your head mainly has a psychological effect during short, intense efforts, but it has no influence on the performance itself. But there are still some remarks to make before you decide to stop drinking or pouring water over your head…..
It is important to note that the researchers always made sure that the athletes started the test optimally hydrated. In many cases, this is not always the case for us. In fact, this study shows that 31% of athletes do not start a competition or training optimally hydrated. If you are unsure about how to start optimally hydrated, you can read this blog again.
During the study, the athletes had to run “only” 5 km intensively (although that was after a 90-minute walk). Technically, we can call this an endurance effort, but of course it cannot be compared to a marathon, ultra trail or Ironman triathlon in hot conditions. In these extreme conditions that last for many hours, it is very important to keep drinking to replace sweat losses. If not, dehydration will negatively affect your performance anyway.
Because the psychological aspect is very important during longer matches, pouring a cup of water over your head regularly can provide a mental boost and can help you stay focused. In some matches, these walk-through showers are provided and that can also give a cooling feeling.
In situations where water supply is limited (for example during a training where you have to provide your own water), the priority should always be drinking. Avoiding dehydration is in all cases more important than a temporary good feeling of cooling down. But if there is enough water available, it is certainly advisable to pour some water over your head every now and then.
A possible reason why it is sometimes advised against pouring water over the head is the theory that the cold water would disrupt the internal thermoregulation. By pouring water over the head, the brain would receive a signal that the body has cooled down, which would give a wrong signal and the body temperature would rise. However, there is no evidence that this can actually happen and you do not have to take this hypothesis into account.
What else can you do to cool down in hot conditions?
Besides drinking and pouring water over your head, there are a few other ways to make the heat a little more bearable during training or a competition…
Pre-cooling (=pre-cooling)
Pre-cooling yourself has received a lot of attention in recent years. If done correctly, this is a very efficient way to start an effort. Ice vests are a good example of pre-cooling.There are some practical issues to consider, such as staying cool until just before the start, but it is definitely worth it if you regularly have to exercise in very hot conditions.Other examples include: absolutely limiting the increase in body temperature by staying in the shade or in an air-conditioned room, drinking ice-cold drinks, etc.
Specific cooling
Cooling down specific parts of your body is also a method that is often used and works. In our body there are some places with “special” blood vessels (hands, feet, head) and there are also places with large blood vessels that are close to the skin (wrists, forearms) and that makes these places interesting to cool down. Cooling down the skin in these specific places can ensure that the blood is cooled down a bit before it flows back to the heart, which benefits your body temperature. This is a method that can be used very easily by athletes. You can put an ice block or a sponge under your cap, hold an ice block in your hand or rub it over your wrists during a race. For trail runners who are running in a forest with a flowing river, pushing your hands and wrists underwater can already provide a nice cooling.
The right tempos
But besides the above tips there is one more important method to keep your body temperature under control…keep the right pace and more specifically…don’t start too fast!The body has the most problems with thermoregulation, processing the heat production of the muscles. By starting at a steady pace you will drastically reduce the risk of overheating. You can drink as much, cool down beforehand or specifically if possible, but the feeling of pace will still be the most important to perform optimally when the temperatures rise sharply!
Precision Hydration info
Every individual sweats differently. Not only in terms of quantity, but also in terms of content. Sodium is one of the most important components of your sweat. Because of these differences, there is no hydration advice that works for everyone and at Precision Hydration we have a patented test to measure the sodium content of your sweat. In addition, we offer a full range of electrolyte supplements with different sodium contents, according to your needs to create an individualized hydration plan.
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