Beating the heat in running
Published: 04 Sep 2017
With increasingly warmer weather in Singapore, it is important for runners to be aware of the common strategies to beat heat stress. These strategies include changing behaviour, specific training or physiological adaptation.
Dr Mok Ying Ren, Resident at the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at the National University Hospital, and Dr Ivan Low, Research Fellow and Exercise Physiologist at NUS Medicine’s Department of Physiology, recommended runners to run in the early mornings or late evenings to avoid the heat from the sun; choosing loose and thin clothing during exercise, especially the ones with moisture-wicking material that pulls sweat away from the skin to the exterior of the clothing to promote sweat evaporation and the removal of body heat; having a running buddy to stay safe; and hydrating the body during endurance runs.
Dr Mok and Dr Low added that heat acclimatisation is a physiological process by which the body adapts and gains greater tolerance to heat exposure, and a typical programme is best done two to three weeks before race day.
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