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Heat: extra hydration
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Daniel W. Rouse Jr.
Jun 14, 2014, 7:21:44 PM6/14/14
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When walking for extended times on particularly hot surfaces during
afternoon peak heat hours, extra hydration is necessary. One immediate
indicator is that the more the wavy heat lines look like water, the hotter
the asphalt will be. (Desert heat, where it looks like a small lake up
ahead? No, my feet are not that heat tolerant so I won't be barefoot at all
when it's that hot in the air and on the asphalt!)
When it's very hot still--high 90's to low 100's--a certain amount of
hydration is already needed just for the air temperature and humidity during
that hotter summer heat. Just like runners, eventually this heat starts to
feel hotter over prolonged distances as it rises up from the asphalt. Then
factor in the burning of the feet--regardless of whether the feet can handle
the burning heat--adding to the heat being absorbed over prolonged
distances. With sufficient burning--even if the feet don't blister--the face
can even begin to sweat from prolonged distance burning.
More hydration is needed to prevent dehydration. I find sports drinks such
as Gatorade or Powerade are more effective than water when drinking them
slowly. Drinking them as fast as possible seems to provide no additional
benefit. Extra hydration combined with realistic walking--as in normal
walking without deliberately remaining on a hotter surface longer than
walking would require--is a very productive barefoot afternoon providing
increased heat tolerance to the air temperature and humidity in general
along with increased heat tolerance for the soles of the feet.
(If afternoon peak heat is just way too hot--as found out when pre-heating
the feet--then I do bring along flip flops to wear for longer distance. This
prevents me from reaching a point of no return--too hot to walk either to
the destination or back to the start of the walk. I can also take them off
periodically, putting them back on when it burns way too much--to help
increase the heat tolerance during that much extra hot heat.
But, I find I'm taking them off and putting them back on after just tens of
steps, then I'll just have to wear the flip flops so I can actually do a
longer walk. In that case, extra hydration isn't needed, since the feet
aren't burning intensely for very long.)
afternoon peak heat hours, extra hydration is necessary. One immediate
indicator is that the more the wavy heat lines look like water, the hotter
the asphalt will be. (Desert heat, where it looks like a small lake up
ahead? No, my feet are not that heat tolerant so I won't be barefoot at all
when it's that hot in the air and on the asphalt!)
When it's very hot still--high 90's to low 100's--a certain amount of
hydration is already needed just for the air temperature and humidity during
that hotter summer heat. Just like runners, eventually this heat starts to
feel hotter over prolonged distances as it rises up from the asphalt. Then
factor in the burning of the feet--regardless of whether the feet can handle
the burning heat--adding to the heat being absorbed over prolonged
distances. With sufficient burning--even if the feet don't blister--the face
can even begin to sweat from prolonged distance burning.
More hydration is needed to prevent dehydration. I find sports drinks such
as Gatorade or Powerade are more effective than water when drinking them
slowly. Drinking them as fast as possible seems to provide no additional
benefit. Extra hydration combined with realistic walking--as in normal
walking without deliberately remaining on a hotter surface longer than
walking would require--is a very productive barefoot afternoon providing
increased heat tolerance to the air temperature and humidity in general
along with increased heat tolerance for the soles of the feet.
(If afternoon peak heat is just way too hot--as found out when pre-heating
the feet--then I do bring along flip flops to wear for longer distance. This
prevents me from reaching a point of no return--too hot to walk either to
the destination or back to the start of the walk. I can also take them off
periodically, putting them back on when it burns way too much--to help
increase the heat tolerance during that much extra hot heat.
But, I find I'm taking them off and putting them back on after just tens of
steps, then I'll just have to wear the flip flops so I can actually do a
longer walk. In that case, extra hydration isn't needed, since the feet
aren't burning intensely for very long.)
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