Heat Racing in Hawaii: How to Prepare for the Heat | Electrolytes

Many of us have already dusted off our roller trainers, got our headlamps ready and have been able to take out our gloves for one or two runs in the morning.
Still others were confronted with the absolute opposite: extremely high temperatures at the Ironman World Championship in Hawaii.
Many of us know that the supply of electrolytes can be decisive for success or defeat during a race. Why this is becoming even more important given the weather conditions in Hawaii was discussed in our last podcast.

How do I prepare for the Hawaii heat race?

The body should be prepared for the high temperatures when preparing for the Ironman Hawaii heat race. However, this must be individually adapted to each athlete and can hardly be summarized in one parameter due to a wide variety of factors such as sweat loss, temperature and the unit completed. A general recommendation can hardly be made here.
One way to prepare the body for the climatic conditions is, for example, heat training. At the same time, there is a very high risk that we will weaken our body immunologically as a whole and thereby have a negative impact on it.
By the way: You can find tips on how you should eat before a race in our article on the topic 'How do I eat before a competition? Tips for beginners and professionals!'

Pre-hydration

Optimal race preparation also includes consuming enough fluids before the race. An important topic, but one that must not degenerate. Too much water washes out the body, which leads to a high loss of electrolytes.
We recommend carrying out or having a sweat test carried out in advance. What do you sweat out? And how much of what? Elementary parameters to best determine the composition of the drinks before a race.
As a rule of thumb, you can remember that a normal person should consume 30 ml of water per kilogram of body weight per day.

The right choice of drink

The choice of drink should always be related to the choice of food. You must always keep a close eye on your calorie needs the day before the race. In what form do you want to absorb the calories?
If you prefer to avoid solid food the day before an important race, the calories can also be consumed through drinks.
It is important that the stores of the main electrolytes, such as magnesium, potassium, chloride, calcium and sodium, are well filled.

Drainage - Why too much water drains

If you consume too much fluid, there is a very high risk of flushing out. If you only drink water during races and at the same time lose a lot of electrolytes through sweat, hypo-natrimi, or overhydration, can occur. Consequences can include dizziness, headaches or nausea.
To avoid this, the drinks, mainly hypotonic, should contain 1.3-1.8 g of sodium chloride during exercise and around 2.9 g per liter after exercise. Ideal for rehydrating the body.

Mineral water as a sports drink?

In principle, mineral water is a protected term and must meet certain requirements in order to be given the name. Accordingly, many mineral waters are also of high quality. The concentration is still too low for sport. In addition, mineral water is in most cases heavily carbonated, which should definitely be avoided before a race.

You can also find out more about this topic in the article 'Training and competing in the heat' .

Did you know,..

...that there is always a suitable podcast for the blog posts?
Your hosts are Simone Kumhofer (sports and nutrition scientist, professional triathlete and expert in intestinal health and the microbiome) and Chris Nindl (triathlete, former cyclist and organizer of theOMNi-BiOTiC® Apfelland Triathlon )
Take a listen! - Click here for the podcast!