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380AEW Article

Acclimatizing to this heat

  • Published
  • By Capt. Maggie Coppini
  • 380th Expeditionary Medical Group
SOUTHWEST ASIA --  Congratulations, fellow ADAB-ers, for taking on the challenge of surviving one of the hottest deployed environments most of us will ever experience. As the daunting summer looms before us, I think it's important that we focus on the acclimatization process so our bodies are better equipped and less stressed by the heat when it's 120+ with [near] 100 percent humidity. So what happens when we acclimatize and how do we help the process along?

Acclimatizing to the heat helps us increase our tolerance for work and decrease our stress in a hot environment. Acclimatization requires a minimum of two hours of work in the heat and it takes 10-14 days for full adaptation, although the majority of this acclimatization occurs within the first two-three days of heat exposure. When we acclimatize, we start sweating at a lower body temperature so our core temperature doesn't get as hot before it starts releasing heat. Sweat becomes more evenly distributed over our entire skin surface. Also, our sweat becomes more dilute as our bodies learn how to retain electrolytes instead of sweating them out. Our veins get bigger to release heat more effectively, which helps lower our heart rate and blood pressure. During the first few days of acclimatization, stress hormones increase in our blood while exercising and working in the heat. However, levels return to normal after eight days of exposure and proper hydration.

In order to acclimatize, we need to be exposed to the threat. Therefore, the proverbial Airman Snuffy who works in an air-conditioned building all day, works out in an air-conditioned sprung and spends his time off in his air-conditioned room isn't going to be acclimatized appropriately when he goes to run the Color Run 5K outside. The other extreme, however, is that Staff Sgt. Snuffy is gung-ho and determined to get into the best shape of his life while he's deployed and he works out in the peak heat of the day the first day he arrives and increasingly pushes himself beyond his limits. This can lead to an injury that will last his entire deployment. It's important to find a happy medium between both types of "Snuffys."

I'm certainly not saying to avoid working out in the heat; I'm saying be smart about it. Start slow with low intensity and give your human systems time to adapt. Run early in the morning or in the evening as the sun is going down and gradually work up to running during hotter times of the day, if that's your goal. Listen to your body--if you're thirsty and your muscles are starting to cramp, decrease your pace, find some shade, rest a bit and drink a bottle of water. Stretch well, eat a balanced diet, increase your sodium intake a bit, especially in the first stages of acclimatization and get as much rest as you can. If you're feeling sluggish, take an extra day off from the gym and give yourself more time to recover. Go easy at the Thirsty Camel too, since alcohol dehydrates you and can nullify all the effort you've put into hydrating throughout the day. Additionally, alcohol disrupts your sleep cycle (more on that later!). It's only going to get hotter, so let's start acclimatizing now and get ready to sweat it out!