Best Recovery Tips After Training In The Summer Heat

For many athletes, training throughout the summer and in hot temperatures is just part of the game. And even if training under these conditions may be normal, there’s some best practices that TeamSnap has compiled to help young athletes have a speedy and efficient recovery.

Cool Down.

Your body may crave this after dripping in sweat! Once you slow down after working hard during training your body will likely heat even more up. To avoid overheating, try and get to cool place as quick as possible. If you can’t get into a cold room, try putting a cold water bottle over your head or finding some shade. Eventually, you will find your heart rate return back to normal and perhaps your head will feel less hot.

Replenish.

“Drink lots of water today!” You may have heard this before or instructed your players or child to do this, but it’s incredibly important after sweating so much during a hot summer’s day. You want to replace the fluids you lost during your workout, so drink up! It’s not a bad idea to mix in some added electrolytes, just be sure to turn to electrolytes or energy drinks only when you’ve been doing an intense workout for an extended amount of time.

Plan Ahead of Time.

In order to best prepare for recovery, it’s a good idea to think about packing extra liquids, a cold pack, or thinking about a cool place to go to right after training. If you think about this beforehand, you won’t have to make a quick decision or risk staying out in the heat any longer!

Refuel.

A big part of proper recovery is nutrition as well. Make sure to have a healthy in a 30 minute to hour window following your workout, even if you aren’t necessarily hungry! It’s very common to feel less hungry in the heat, but your body needs it to feed your muscles and recover.

If you prepare ahead of training in the heat, and make sure to treat your body with lots of liquids, cool temperatures, and proper nutrition, you are well on your way to having a great recovery and therefore a full summer of awesome workouts. If you are interested in learning more training tips for the summer or any off-season, checkout our off-season video series for more.