Sports Articles - Which Factors Influence how a Runner Performs in the Heat?


by SANDRA PRIOR - Date: 2009-06-17 - Word Count: 283 Share This!

The Olympic Games always stimulates debate and discussion around heat and performance.

Most elite long-distance runners choose to race at night or during the cooler spring and autumn months - the Olympics changes all that, forcing athletes to race when temperatures may be close to or even above 30°C, with high humidity. Long distance running in Beijing is going to be a very tough prospect, especially when one considers the added prospect of the pollution.

There are two key physiological factors that impact on every runner's ability to perform in the heat: body size and acclimatization.

Body size is vital because there is evidence that smaller runners store less heat than larger runners.

This is because small runners produce less heat, and also have a higher body surface area to help them lose that heat. The result is that a smaller athlete can run faster in the heat than a larger runner before being forced to slow down.

The second factor is acclimatization. Unlike the first, this is at least ‘controllable', and every athlete can (and should) be spending time training in hot, humid conditions. This is something all runners have experienced - the first race of summer, on a warm day, is unbearable after three months of winter training.

Perhaps the main reason why training in the heat is useful is because the body is able to lose more heat through sweating. If an athlete lines up in the heat of Beijing (or anywhere else) and they are not used to it, then even the greatest training and ability in the world is rendered insignificant. In this regard, the heat is a great leveler.

Sandra Prior runs her own bodybuilding website at http://bodybuild.rr.nu.


Related Tags: games, performance, olympics, heat, race, athletes, olympic, runners

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