Running in humid conditions affects the body’s ability to cool down
This article aims to explain how running in humid conditions affects running performances.
Running is simply the act of placing one foot in front of the other rapidly as you move from one point to another. But, one needs to learn much more than that if they are to run a marathon well. Running in humid conditions and atmospheric pressure are part of the topics one needs to learn as a runner.
It is not enough to just check the temperature or the time of the day that the race will be run. Humidity plays a great role in how your body will feel on race day. A humidity of over 45% will have some effect on your running, a 75% will greatly affect your running while a 100% humidity will make it extremely difficult for you to run.
Running in humid conditions makes running more difficult on warm days in that high moisture content in the air will make it feel hotter . It is important to recognize that feeling sluggish on a day with high humidity doesn’t indicate a lack of fitness or a lapse in mental toughness.
How running in humid conditions affects the body
Body temperature naturally rises when one runs and sweat glands produce sweat to carry excess heat to the surface of the skin, where it evaporates and produce a cooling effect on the body. But running in humid conditions in the air, the sweat is prevented from evaporating.
When the body continues to heat up and get dehydrated, it goes into the survival mode of trying to maintain blood flow only to your essential organs and to your skin.
If you continue pushing hard despite the early warnings, your brain temperature may even rise as a result and make matters worse as your ability to assess your own body temperature will be compromised. You may start to lose control over your body movements and your mental abilities may end up disoriented.
Some of the factors that affect your susceptibility to humidity include your body size. The more body mass you have, the more insulation and load you carry and the more heat your body will generate, which will make it easier for you to overheat.
Health conditions, age and place of origin may also affect how your body adapts to humidity. That is why it pays to train in almost the same weather conditions ahead of racing in hot and running in humid conditions.
It is always important to give your health priority over your race goals. Make sure to hydrate properly and adjust your pace to adapt to the racing conditions.
Pay close attention to the early warning signs of heat exhaustion and heat stroke: fatigue, nausea, dizziness, headaches, tingly skin, and confusion. It might be time to pull out of the race and live to run another next time.
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