Written by: Martijn Redegeld
Running a marathon in over 25 degrees, or riding a tour in the scorching sun: for many people, performing in the heat poses an extra challenge. More than once, sporting events have even been canceled due to participants suffering from overheating. Besides causing immediate performance impairment, this can even become detrimental to health. Keeping the body constantly cool is therefore crucial if you want to perform in the heat. How the Amacx Ice Gels can help with that, you can read in this blog.
The importance of a constant core temperature
The human body is very fond of a stable core temperature of about 36.5 to 37 degrees Celsius, because at this temperature many processes in our body run optimally. However, during exercise a lot of heat is produced which will cause the core temperature in the body to rise. To control this rising core temperature, our body has several mechanisms to release heat. One of the most well-known of these is sweating: by bringing moisture onto our skin and evaporating it there, the body loses its heat. In addition, increased subcutaneous blood circulation, for example, causes heat loss.
Performance loss in hot and humid conditions
Of course, environmental factors also play an important role in the body's heat management. The warmer the ambient temperature, the more difficult it is for the body to release its heat. The same applies to humidity: the higher it is, the harder it becomes to lose body heat through sweating. Therefore, performance loss due to heat occurs especially in warm, humid conditions. In such conditions, it is therefore of increasing importance to help cool the body.
Benefits of internal cooling for sports performance
In addition to "external cooling," such as by throwing cold water over the body, "internal cooling" is also an important method for controlling body temperature during exercise in hot conditions. Ice slushs or popsicles are seen to be ideally suited for this, and in scientific research show that these products are excellent at lowering core temperature from within. This allows performance in the heat to remain at high levels for longer and delays any heat exhaustion. Moreover, this provides a fine and pleasant subjective sensation of cooling.
Introducing Amacx Energy and Turbo Ice Gels
To address this performance enhancement in a proper and practical way, Amacx has added two new Ice Gels to its range. The Amacx Energy Ice Gel includes all the benefits of the Amacx Drink Gel, by providing, for example, 30 grams of carbohydrates in a 2:1 ratio, in addition to providing the necessary internal cooling in hot conditions. The Amacx Turbo Ice Gel is identical in place to the Amacx Turbo Gel, but gives you the feeling of a refreshing water ice cream.
Because of these specific compositions, the Ice Gels are perfect to combine with the other Amacx products. If you aim for an intake of up to 90 grams of carbohydrates per hour, combine the Amacx Energy Ice Gel with other products from the Energy Line. If you are aiming for an intake above 90 grams of carbohydrates per hour in extreme conditions, choose the Amacx Turbo Ice Gel in combination with other products from the Turbo Line.
Summary:
- During exercise, a lot of heat is produced in the body. This causes the body's core temperature to rise.
- If the core temperature rises too far it results in performance loss. In extreme cases, a high body temperature can even lead to heat exhaustion.
- To prevent this, the body has several mechanisms to cool the body, such as by sweating. However, especially in hot and humid conditions, it becomes more difficult to cool the body sufficiently with this.
- Through "internal" cooling, we can help body in these situations to keep core temperature well under control. Taking an Amacx Ice Gel provides cooling from the inside, thus lowering core temperature. This maintains performance in the heat, and postpones heat exhaustion.
