TRAINING IN SUMMER: INSTRUCTIONS FOR USE

There are no right or wrong seasons for doing sport, but every weather condition requires certain precautions to be taken to train effectively, especially in summer, when high temperatures put our sporting performance to the test. Having explored the most important aspects of running in winter, we now turn to some useful tips for enjoying the warmer season. Spoiler: be careful not to overdo it!

Running and sport in summer: alternating your training

If you’re one of those people who can’t wait to get away from work to go for a run, you’ll know that summer has many positive aspects, starting with longer days that provide the opportunity to train outdoors without the aid of headlamps and reflective vests.

But running is not the only activity to enjoy in summer! Runners and all sports enthusiasts have the opportunity to expand their range of activities for a few months, improving their performance and testing their endurance and lungs with outdoor endurance sports including:

• Trail running, i.e. running on unpaved surfaces on trails with natural inclines and depressions.
• Cycling, good for improving cardiovascular and muscular endurance.
• Swimming: when combined, running and swimming provide a complete and beneficial workout. Water in fact improves endurance and muscle tone, strengthening the cardiovascular and respiratory systems.

It is well known, however, that training in the summer also requires a good deal of shrewdness to avoid overheating and all the problems associated with it.

The following tips may not be cutting-edge, but they are still important to make your body’s health a top priority, without giving up sport.

How to organise training sessions in summer

The golden rule when running in summer is to absolutely avoid the hottest hours. The best times to train are in the morning and in the evening, when the air is cooler. The situation changes slightly when it comes to swimming and water sports in general: while it is always best to avoid peak hours, you don’t need to wait until the evening.

It is also important to organise training sessions: as mentioned above, the priority is the well-being of the body. The best solution is to go running less often than you are used to, alternating with other sports activities to maintain muscle tone and endurance.

Each season presents not only different weather and temperature conditions, but also different biological rhythms that influence the body, forcing it to recalibrate each time. This is why it is important to give the body time to get used to summer training.

Training too intensely can be counterproductive in summer: it is important to let both the body and the nervous system adapt to the rising temperature, gradually varying both the intensity of training sessions and the kinds of sports you do and avoiding training on hot days.

Sport in summer and hydration

Ensuring proper hydration when running or doing any kind of sport is essential in any season and even more so in summer.

Always replenishing fluids lost during training is essential, as dehydration impairs all your physiological functions, starting with the cardiovascular system. Dehydration can indeed reduce the total volume of blood and blood pressure, thus leading to a decrease in blood flow and oxygen supply to the muscles, brain and skin, which support heat regulation, and consequently also compromising muscular, respiratory and cognitive functions.

The advice is therefore to drink water regularly throughout the day, including snacks of fruit and vegetable smoothies, which have the advantage of contributing to your intake of both water and vitamins and minerals. But that’s not all: when practising sport in the summer, it’s a good idea to consider replenishing the nutrients lost through sweating also by taking supplements made specifically to fulfil the needs of sports people. Hydral, for example, is a rehydrating supplement supplied in stick form to dissolve in water, providing a useful solution to rehydrate the body when sweating is intense and to reduce the feeling of fatigue.

Diet, as well as proper hydration, is always a key component for anyone involved in constant sports activity. As already mentioned, summer requires you to replenish more minerals and vitamins than usual. So eat plenty of seasonal vegetables and fruit, accompanied by fresh fish, which is brimming with substances that are good for your health and for supporting the body’s well-being during and after sports performance.

Food rich in antioxidants are essential for anyone involved in running or endurance sports in the summer as they help counteract the effects of oxidative stress, reduce inflammation and support muscle and energy recovery.

Sport in summer: the importance of recovery

It is vital never to forget that excessive training, especially in summer, can be counterproductive and overload the body with stress and fatigue. Between training sessions, it is important to allow yourself time to recover, to give your muscles and your entire body time to regain optimal levels of energy and well-being.

If you experience severe thirst, cramps, widespread weakness, dizziness, nausea or headaches during sporting activity, you must stop and rest. The body has its own way of reacting to protect itself from the heat, and these symptoms are a warning to ask for more time to recover: listen to it and allow yourself one or more days of rest!