Exercise while it's hot

Why do we sweat and feel hot while exercising?

It turns out, muscles that work during exercise can generate heat which can affect normal body temperature. When exercising, muscles use carbohydrates, fat, and several other nutrients to be converted into energy, by burning them. This burning produces heat which warms the circulation of the blood and increases its temperature. Therefore, when exercising our whole body feels warm. The more specific the type of exercise you do, the more "heat" your muscles will produce. At least muscles generate 15 to 20 times more heat when doing strenuous exercise than normal body conditions.

When the muscles release excessive heat, the body will signal the hormones that regulate body temperature to normalize the body as quickly as possible. The blood flow, which becomes hot due to the burning of these muscles, flows throughout the body. When it flows to the surface of the skin, heat is released through sweat. While the blood flows to the respiratory system, heat will be channeled through the air to be expelled through the nose. In addition, to speed up the body back to normal temperature, heat will be overcome by flowing more blood to the surface of the skin so that heat can be expelled through sweat.

Hence, when we exercise, the body will sweat, the more sweat is released, the faster the body will return to normal. There are about 3 million sweat glands that the body has that can help the body to release heat.

How much does body temperature change during exercise?

The body will thermoregulate when it is "hot". Thermoregulation is the body's attempt to maintain normal body temperature. Body temperature is influenced by various things, one of which is the physical activities carried out by the body. When the body temperature decreases or increases, the body will automatically adapt and maintain its normal temperature, which is at 35 degrees Celsius to 37 degrees Celsius. A decrease or increase in body temperature by just one degree Celsius can cause various changes in body functions.

When doing strenuous exercise, your body temperature will increase by several degrees. Therefore, when you do sports, your body has its own regulations to keep it in normal condition. The hypothalamus will secrete hormones that are useful for regulating body temperature when the body temperature is abnormal. This hormone will regulate how much sweat must be removed to remove heat from the body.

How much temperature the body increases when exercising does not only depend on how much muscle burns and produces "heat", but also depends on how quickly the body can cool off. In areas or environments with low temperatures, the heat generated by the muscles can be dissipated quickly. Whereas in areas with high or hot temperatures, the body will have difficulty dissipating heat, maybe even the body temperature will increase. This of course is bad for the health of the body and can cause various harmful effects on health.

What happens to the body if you exercise in a place that is too hot

When the body cannot lower its body temperature, it will experience over-heating or overheating. Body temperature that exceeds 40 degrees Celsius has a high risk of stroke and various potential damage to the body. Symptoms that can occur when exercising in a hot environment, which are associated with increased body temperature are:

Muscle cramps
Feeling nauseous and vomiting
Weak and tired
Headache
Heavy sweating
Low blood pressure
The heart was beating very fast
Blurred vision

To reduce this risk, The American College of Sports Medicine recommends avoiding strenuous exercise when the ambient temperature is high, then wearing comfortable and thin clothing, and avoiding dehydration by drinking as much mineral water as possible before, during and after exercise. If the body is dehydrated, it will be increasingly difficult for the body to normalize its temperature again.