For an exercise or sporting activity in an extreme environment develop and

justify guidelines for training or participation.

The following guidelines are for training to participate in a multi day running

event in a hot environment, such as the Marathon Des Sables in Southern

Morocco.

During the Marathon Des Sables participants have 6 days to cover 230km in

temperatures of above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, the participants will be self-

sufficient carrying everything that they need to eat, sleep and wear, only water

is provided by the organisers in strict rations at the end of each race day.

The Marathon Des Sables and other such multi-day events that take place in

these hot temperatures are not only extreme events to take part in but they also

call for some extreme management beforehand. Each competitor must prepare

mentally, physically and emotionally for the tough task ahead, as it is certainly

not as simple as a jog around the park.

Taking part in multi day events requires excellent management skills and

preparation, with particular attention being paid to areas such as hydration,

nutrition, acclimatisation and body strength, incorporating these areas into

training schedules months prior to the event will lead to a successful run and

the completion of the course.

Running itself is a stressor on the body but when you add extreme heat, for

multiple days it changes everything. The organisers for Marathon Des Sables

recommend that training must start several months prior to the event running 3

or 4 times a week carrying the backpack that the participant will be taking to the

event, this should weigh about 3kg at the start of training and with gradual

progression the final weeks of training will have the participant running 3 or 4

times a week totalling 100-125 miles with a 10kg backpack on. This should feel

comfortable to the participant as they have still have to go through

acclimatisation to make it a comfortable run in the extreme heat.

The acclimatisation process is just as important as the prior training as the

participant must be able to withstand the extreme temperatures and avoid heat

disorders such as heatstroke, heat exhaustion, heat syncope and heat cramps.

This should be a slow process carried out in the actual environment of the event

or in an artificially controlled environmental chamber that mimics the exact

conditions. It is recommended by SandstrÖm et al., (2008) that a gradual

introduction to training in elevated ambient temperatures for 15 consecutive

days be suggested to obtain maximum benefit of heat acclimation inclusive of

both cellular and systemic adaptations. This is to achieve physiological benefits

to the participant including increased sweating and lower salt levels in the

sweat; increased ability for the body to dissipate heat from the core to the

extremities, therefore lowering the core temperature; the ability to tolerate the

heat for longer periods of time; cardiovascular functions adapting making

exercise more manageable; cardiac output and plasma volume will also adapt

and improve to tolerate such a hot climate. Of course if the participant does not

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have access to train in a chamber or the actual environment of the race then

other ways must be devised to mimic conditions such as wearing extra layers of

clothing whilst training, which would prevent evaporation causing the body to

work harder to keep core temperature constant or travelling to a higher altitude

to train as Stray-Gunderson et al., (2001) concluded that 4 weeks of

acclimatisation to moderate altitude, accompanied by high-intensity training at

low altitude, improves sea level endurance performance.

When running in the heat for several consecutive days it the not only

acclimatising to the conditions that is important but also the hydration and

nutrition intake by the participant prior to the event. During training it is vital that

the participant uses what will be available during the event, as consuming a

new product during the event is not advisable. The participant must test the

body with the various electrolyte and carbohydrate drinks, as well as food that

they will consume during the event to replenish energy stores and fluids that are

lost through sweating.

Each participant will have a different strategy when it comes to fluid intake and

replacement but all strategies will have the goal of avoiding dehydration and

electrolyte loss as a loss of essential fluids >2% of body weight will have a

severe impact on the participants ability to perform in such a hot environment.

It is recommended by Wescher, (2006) that consuming a sodium-containing

beverage to compensate for large sweat losses incurred during exercise. This

will help to maintain plasma sodium concentration, therefore avoiding

hyponatremia and preventing the early onset of exhaustion, as shown by Baker

et al, (2008).

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Nutrition is equally important as hydration and acclimatisation and completely

different to each individual, it is therefore recommended that eating the foods

that are available during a multi day event in the heat be consumed throughout

training to ensure that they are the right foods for the participant. Especially as

most foods to be taken will be freeze dried and completely different to the usual

diet of the participant.

Experimenting with glucose replenishment drinks to be taken during the event

and also consuming glucose prior to training sessions will prepare the body for

utilising supplies of glycogen during the event, especially that from

carbohydrates. It has been suggested by Tokmakidis and Karamanolis, (2008)

that glucose ingestion 15 minutes before prolonged exercise provides an

additional carbohydrate source to the exercising muscle, thus improving

endurance running capacity.

When training at such an intensity weight loss will also be noticed by

participants, this is not something that has to concern the participant and does

not need to be replenished during the event, a study by Zouhal et al., (2009)

during the Marathons Des Sables supports the hypothesis that significant body

weight loss may not systematically affect performances during long duration

multiple-stage races.

There are several factors involved in the training for a multi-day event in

extreme heat, but not one guideline is more important than the other as failure

to train with all aspects of hydration, nutrition and acclimatisation in mind for the

hot environment will in no doubt lead to the incompletion of such an event.

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References

1. ME SandstrÖm et al., (2008) The effect of 15 consecutive days of heat-

exercise acclimation on heat shock protein 70. Cell Stress Chaperones,

13(2), p. 169-175.

2. Stray-Gunderson et al., (2001) “Living high-training low” altitude training

improves sea level performance in male and female elite runners. J Appl

Physiol, 91(3), p.1113-1120.

3. Wescher LB, (2006) What can be concluded regarding water versus

sports drinks from the Vrijens-Reher experiments? J Appl Physiol, 100,

p.1433-1434.

4. Baher et al, (2008) Quantitative analysis of serum sodium concentration

after prolonged running in the heat. J Appl Physiol, 105, p.91-99.

5. Tokmakidis SP and Karamanolis IA, (2008) Effects of carbohydrate

ingestion 15 minutes before exercise on endurance running capacity. Appl

Physiol Nutr Metab, 33(3), p. 441-9

6. Zouhal et al., (2009) Athletic performance and weight changes during the

“Marathon of Sands” in athletes well trained in endurance. Int J Sports

Med, 30(7), p. 516-21