Men\'s Health UK - 10.2019

WORDS: LOUEE DESSENT-JACKSON | PHOTOGRAPHY: JOHANNA PARKIN I PROP BUILD: LOU BLACKSHAW

MERCURY RISING

Keen to take your training

to higher temperatures

in the quest for superior

fitness? You’ll need to pack

smart. Here’s our hot list

i/ BUFFWEAR RUN CAP

This lightweight

cap not only offers

98% UV protection, but it

scrunches up into a tiny ball

that’ll fit in your pocket.

£26.50 buffwear.co.uk

ii/ CAMELBAK QUICK

GRIP CHILL BOTTLE

This comes with

a pouch for your keys, while

the insulated Podium bottle

keeps your drink nice and icy.

£26.60 amazon.co.uk

iii/ ADIDAS

ALPHASKIN TIGHTS

Designed for

outdoor training, these are

made of breathable fabrics

that minimising chafing.

£22 adidas.co.uk

iv/ BALEGA HIDDEN

DRY SOCKS

Don’t let blisters

hold you back. The mesh

ventilation and technical

fabric keep sweaty feet dry.

£13 wiggle.co.uk

Science says that sweating it out in

a hot yoga class or sauna can give

your endurance levels a sweltering

spike. You’ll soon be steaming ahead

TURN UP THE HEAT

ON YOUR CARDIO

B

efore you know it, summer

will be a distant memory

• and with it the ample
  opportunities to log those
  extra miles on sunny mornings and
  balmy evenings. But don’t let the
  changing weather cool your fitness
  ambitions. There are other ways to
  turn up the heat and, according to
  Canadian researchers, earn a red-
  hot boost to your endurance levels.
  The scientists discovered that
  heat training can improve the
  efficiency of your heart. Plasma is
  the liquid component of blood that
  carries blood cells around the body.
  High temperatures cause the plasma
  to expand, increasing the overall
  blood volume – and therefore the
  number of oxygen-bearing red
  blood cells being pumped around
  by your heart. In short, more blood
  flow means you’ll find it easier to
  work out at high intensity.
  Curiously, the scientists noted
  in the Journal of Strength and
  Conditioning Research that the
  effects aren’t immediate. Flow
  through a hot yoga class, or
  sweat it out in the gym’s sauna,
  and you’ll prime yourself for
  a “slingshot effect” of blood
  plasma production that takes
  place once you return to regular
  exercise. The researchers
  recorded a 13% spike in plasma
  in the days immediately following
  heat exposure – enough for a
  significant benefit to your
  cardiovascular performance.
  That’s good news for those who
  thought that cutting their treadmill
  session short for the sauna was a
  cop-out. If you want to make a run for
  extra stamina, this is your simplest
  hack. Endurance training? No sweat.

BRING YOUR CARDIO

TO THE BOIL AND BUILD

UP A HEAD OF STEAM

MEN’S HEALTH 37

A

19

THERMAL

BEST

18

A RED-HOT

TRICK