weekend race simulati on type workouts. The most recent study on 20 cyclists showing improved


School Students Heat acclimati zati on guide3


performance in hot and cool environments used 90-minute exercise bouts in the heat2


. also, the US army Ranger and airborne recommends a


maximum of 100 minutes. this maximum would be appropriate for mid-week or perhaps some weekend workouts. However, for specifi c race simulati ons, depending on the race, this might be inappropriate. If your athlete is preparing for long or ultra distance racing and


the object of a session is to practi ce executi on, then the ti me would need to be longer. For example, if you want to know if your athlete can ride for 56 miles at 210 watt s and sti ll take in his normal 24 ounces of Gatorade and gel every hour without stomach distress, then naturally you would need to have them go longer than 90 minutes. We are all familiar with the idea of a nutriti on or pacing strategy that works for 1 hour or 2 hours or even 5 hours but then falls apart. So for that reason, the ti me of a heat acclimati on session that is also a race simulati on should be set with an eye on the length of the race most of all. Preparing for the heat of an upcoming race is simply another


wrinkle to the specifi city principle. Overlooking this aspect of training can lead an athlete to be underprepared and in parti cular can lead to that athlete’s executi on plan to be off base in terms of food, hydrati on, and pacing, leading to sub-opti mal results. the usual way to acclimate to hot race conditi ons is to train in the heat of the day however due to climate diff erences or early season races, coaches may need to work with athletes to establish other ways to train for the heat. i am confi dent that if you incorporate these strategies into your athletes’ training their experiences in hot race days will improve.


Kevin Joubert is a USA Triathlon Level II Certi fi ed Coach and a Level 4 ASCA Masters swim coach from Towson, Md. He can be contacted at kpjoubert@yahoo.com


Footnotes 1. garrett , a t, Rehrer n J, patt erson, M J. inducti on and Decay of Short-term Heat acclimati on in Moderately and Highly trained athletes. Sports Med. 2011; 41 (9): 757-771 2. lorenzo S, Halliwill JR, Sawka Mn, Minson Ct. Heat acclimati on improves exercise performance. J appl physiol. 2010 Oct;109(4):1140-7. 3. US army Ranger and airborne School Students Heat acclimati zati on guide. USa CHppM. 2003


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