01 Jul Heat — Can It Be Good for You?

Ed Kornoelje DO
Sports Medicine|University of Michigan Health-West

Now that the heat is here, are there any benefits for training?  The answer is yes!  Not many of us love the heat, but since it is here, we should embrace it—but why?

There are two articles (July 2020) that discuss the why and how—let’s take a look.  One thing to keep in mind: in all conditions, performance hinges on the ability to carry oxygen from the lungs to the muscle via blood (hemoglobin—see my previous article on iron and ferritin).  The first article entitled “The Benefits of Heat Training, Reconsidered” is by Alex Hutchinson from Outside. Citing articles from Experimental Physiology and Frontiers in Physiology, Alex notes that heat training appears to increase plasma volume, the part of the blood that does NOT contain hemoglobin.  This is bad, correct?  If the goal is to move oxygen via hemoglobin, this plasma volume expansion will create a dilution of hemoglobin—not good.  What likely happens next, however, is that the kidneys, sensing this dilution, put out more EPO causing the body to create more hemoglobin-rich red blood cells—this is good.  This may take up to five weeks to occur fully, but it looks like heat helps.

How can we make this work to out benefit?  In “Training in Hot Conditions May Enhance Fitness and Performance” from Trail Runner, David Roche cites some of the same research (and a bit more) to give us the how.  Reinforcing what Alex noted, David suggests the following:

1. Stay consistent.  Blood (plasma volume) can expand rapidly, but also contract rapidly (turning down EPO production).  Heat training should be ongoing (for five weeks if possible although shorter time periods help as well)—either naturally or manufactured.
2. Be healthy going in.  Your ferritin levels must be high enough to allow the body to produce mire hemoglobin—get these checked (again, see the previous ferritin article).
3. Embrace the heat.  Be safe (no heatstroke please)—easy runs will do just fine.  If you can, perhaps do some of your harder efforts when it is a bit cooler, and do the easy days in the heat.  Or shorten some workouts but double up in the heat.  Or if you are like me, work often dictates training when it is hotter outside.  If this is the case, just know you are enhancing your fitness!

So be safe and embrace the heat.  Notice I did not say enjoy—this may not be fun, but it will be worth it!

If you have any questions about heat, ferritin, or other issues, you can find us all over West Michigan.  We treat all types of sports injuries, and while we have experience treating athletes like the Griffins, Rise, GVSU Lakers, and Calvin Knights we use our expertise to help athletes and active individuals of all ages and skill levels.  You don’t need to be on a team to be an athlete!  Call 616-252-7778 or visit www.uofmhealthwest.org and search “sports medicine” for more information.