Keeping Cool During Gymnastics Practice
Posted on - 6th April 2022
With summer quickly approaching, temperatures are sure to rise. This puts you at serious risk of overheating and other heat emergencies such as:
- Heat Cramps – painful involuntary muscle spasms which are more intense and longer than similar cramps which occur during the night. Research suggests that these are brought about through fluid and electrolyte loss.
- Heat Exhaustion - a period of heavy sweating and rapid pulse rate, normally brought on through exposure to high temperatures and considerable levels of humidity whilst attempting to undertake considerable levels of physical activity.
- Heatstroke - A serious and life threatening condition and a further development of Heat Exhaustion. Heatstroke usually presents as hyperthermia greater than 40.6 degrees centigrade as well as disorientation.
Because of this severity, it’s recommended that you do everything possible in order to minimise the risk. In order to help you do that, we’ve put together this quick article with some great tips. Read on to find out more.
4 Tips On Keeping Cool During Summer Practice
Drink Plenty of Fluids
The most common piece of advice when it comes to keeping cool in summer is to keep on drinking plenty of fluids throughout the day. Not only will this keep you hydrated, but it will also help to regulate your body temperature as you practice and compete. However, it’s important to remember that not every liquid is equal and there are some liquids that you should just avoid.
For example, while water is the best choice for light, well-ventilated exercise, if you’re going to practice for long periods of time then you should consider trying out a sports drink. Not only will this drink keep you hydrated, it will also help to replace any electrolytes lost because of heat.
Whichever one of these liquids you choose, they should be cool and not cold. This is because cold drinks can decrease your heart rate and cause shock – not something you want in a cold environment. Keeping the drinks cool ensures that your body continues to operate as it should.
At the same time, you want to avoid any drinks with caffeine and too much sugar in them,
Don’t Have Too Much Salt
In relation to the above, it’s important that you don’t have too much salt on hot days. This is because having too much salt is an easy way of dehydrating yourself. As such, you should avoid having too much, if possible.
The exact amount of salt you need to function depends very much on the individual, so it’s best to just use your best judgement. However, it’s important to make sure that you maximise the amount of water/sports drink, too – so that you can properly manage your hydration level.
Avoid Direct Contact With The Sun
Our next piece of advice is to avoid direct contact with the sun, if possible. If you do practice outside, do so under a shade, wearing plenty of sun protection. This is particularly important if you’re going to be wearing your gymnastics clothes outside – as these types of clothes don’t offer much in the way of protection from the sun.
Choose The Right Leotard
For help choosing the right gymnastics leotard, contact Olympique today. We carry a wide range of gymnastics wear, designed to keep you cool in the summer, warm in the winter and perform your best year around.
Visit our catalogue today to find the gymnastics leotard for you.