[Chantelle Robitaille]

Hey all,

If you are curious about some of the science behind heat acclimation, have a look at the recording from 05.30.2023. I shared some science on why people might want to use a heat acclimation protocol (improve health and/or performance, get ready for a warmer climate/time of year, or cross-acclimation for altitude.

TL; DR…Here are my top tips

Heat Acclimation Guidance

– Remember that heat training is stress! Your body doesn’t know the difference between different kinds of stress…so make sure you aren’t adding heat stress at the same time as a high training stress, life, stress, etc.
– Heat acclimation takes time. You should see benefits in 7-10 days of exposure (women may be 10-14 days- luteal phase or peri/post-menopausal)
– Acclimation declines with time- lose approx.. 2.5% per day
– You can maintain the benefits of the initial acclimation by adding a dose of heat exposure every 3-4 days
– If you are new to heat training, try it out months in advance (as a trial run) of your objective to make sure you can handle the added stress. Then bring it back in 7-14 days before your objective (but don’t forget to decrease your training load!)
– A passive protocol is recommended
o Do your workout and then while your body temperature is still elevated, get your heat exposure.
o 20-30 min heat session
o Sauna 160-190F/71-88C
o Hot tub 104-108F/40-42C
o In a hot tub, submerge yourself so that shoulders are below the water level
o Don’t drink anything while in the sauna/tub
o Rehydrate SLOWLY post-heat session (ie. Don’t slam a Gatorade right after)
– More (time, temp, etc) isn’t more better! Follow these guidelines to stay safe and get results.

The sauna suit I mentioned in the talk is found at https://kuttingweight.com/

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