Training Effectively in Colder Temperatures
By Melinda Burris Willms
Spring fever is in the air in earnest. If not in the literal air, which still carries a distinct February chill and the unspoken promise that the customary winds of March will blow with their usual expected force, the spirit is definitely in evidence. Brave souls are already wearing shorts and flip flops as if willing warm weather to make its longed for appearance. However, when it comes to pushing the temperature boundaries while training, dressing for the season actually at hand is truly the wisest course. It is also a decision your body, your team, and your coach, will ultimately thank you for, as this article will make clear.
What is glycogen? What is glucose? And why it matters ( a lot)!
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Glycogen is a composite of the following 3 elements: carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen (CHO). These elements mix together naturally in the bodies of mammals, including people, creating complex carbohydrates.[1] For the most part, glycogen is amassed in the liver and in muscle tissue where these reserves undergo a quick and efficient conversion from glycogen to glucose, when the body senses a necessity to fulfill tasks requiring taxing expenditures of energy. Although glycogen and glucose are often confused and incorrectly used interchangeably, the substances are very different in composition and in functions they perform. The three elements that come together to form glycogen (carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen), together create the body’s energizing fuel. That fueling agent, the body stores for times when it must exert exhaustive energy, is glucose.[2]
The Effects of Elevated Glycogen on Performance
While elevated glycogen reserves can have a tremendous effect on the capability of athletes to extend stamina levels, at times even doubling a well-prepared athlete’s ability to sustain “exhaustive” feats.[3] Sub-par or depleted glycogen levels obviously will have the opposite effect: shortening, and in extreme cases, completely sabotaging a competitor’s capacity to sustain the physical and mental intensity required to emerge victorious due to their diminished stamina, which hastens the onset of exhaustion. Real or imagined, the effect of feeling fatigued and unable to continue or complete an expected task is devastating, not only to an athlete’s stats, but perhaps more importantly, to the individual’s morale.
Lower Temps Decrease the Amount of Glycogen Stored in the Body
Exercise in colder temperatures requires more work from your body. Specifically, your muscles need your body to supply more energy at a quicker pace to complete your normal workout. This means, you guessed it, your body requires more glycogen. The demand for increased glycogen production frequently causes a swifter rate of fatigue. People who experience this exacerbated fatigue often “start shivering” and also experience “involuntary muscle contractions.”[4]
A Properly Timed High Carb Diet Can Help Maintain Optimum Glycogen Levels
It is vital for athletes to eat prior to training or competing, as doing so has been demonstrated to have positive effects on performance. A meal and beverage rich in carbohydrates is an optimal choice due to the fact that carbohydrates “increase or ‘top off’ muscle glycogen stores, prevent hunger, and provide a mental boost for the athlete.”[5] Athletes should strive to eat a ratio of “1 gram per kilogram of body weight (k/kg) of carbohydrate one hour before exercise, 2 g/kg two hours before, and so on.”[6] If the athlete experiences indigestion or difficulty eating the prescribed amounts, it is recommended they try eating reduced portions and attempt adding low fat and low fiber carbohydrates to their diet as substitutions to see if these changes alleviate their abdominal pain.[7]
Avoid Dehydration
Although we are more aware of thirst during the hot summer months—for obvious reasons—it is important to remember that when you work out, even when it’s cold outside, you exert yourself physically, and the body’s natural response is to perspire, or sweat, to cool you down! Dehydration is a serious issue and must be guarded against year-round! Cold weather can depress feelings of thirst, so even though you may not crave a big swig of a sports drink every 20 minutes like you do when it’s 85 degrees out your body still needs it. Several factors unique to cold-weather exercise can cause dehydration.[8]
Recommendations from the American Council on Exercise are:
- 2-3 hours before engaging in exercise, imbibe 17-20 ounces of water.
- Drink an additional 8 ounces of water 20 to 30 minutes before your planned exercise activity actually begins.
- Finally, remember to continue ingesting water every 10-20 minutes during your workout session. Drinking a small amount, between 7-10 ounces, at regular intervals while exercising will help you maintain your hydration level.
- The council’s final recommendation is to drink one final cup (8 oz.) of water within one half hour of completing your workout. [9]
Dress Appropriately
Along with the warning to remember that you can easily become dehydrated in winter, despite the cold, let me add another proviso about the dangers of failing to dress in warm layers that provide the necessary insulation needed to protect you from the elements and the threat of catching cold or another illness. Again, exertion means sweating! If you are wearing cold clothes wet with perspiration, you have failed to protect yourself adequately.[10] Think layers, with a base top made of a moisture wicking material to keep your body warm and dry as possible!
Timing and Accountability
Lastly, timing is everything! When you train, how long you train, when you eat the right carbs to keep your glycogen level at the optimum level for your body type at all times depends largely on you and your willingness to follow the regimen detailed above (with more individualized input from your coach) and your continued commitment to remaining compliant.
Notes
[1]. Jensen, Jorgen, Per Inge Rustad, Anders Jensen Kolnes, and Yu-Chiang Lai. “The Role of Skeletal Muscle Glycogen Breakdown for Regulation of Insulin Sensitivity by Exercise” Frontiers in Physiology 2, (2011): 112. http://doi.org/10.3389/fphys.2011.00112
[2]. Ibid.
- 3. Ex.Rx.net. “Glycogen.” n. d. http://www.exrx.net/Nutrition/Glycogen.html.
[4]. Prazak, Tawnee. “Cold Weather Training and Your Body,” 2017, https://www.active.com/health/articles/cold-weather-training-and-your-body?page=2.
- American Academy of Family Physicians. “Hydration for Athletes.” Family Doctor. Last modified May 2017. https://familydoctor.org/athletes-the-importance-of-good-hydration/.
- Ibid.
[8]. Ibid.
[10]. Prazak.
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