In this article, Dr. Tracy Zaslow says preparation in key when running in cold weather.Article Link: Winter fitness: Extra benefits you get running in colder weather (medicalnewstoday.com)
Running can be an effective workout for cardiovascular fitness all year round.
However, recent research concludes that going for a run in colder temperatures can provide an extra boost.
Experts interviewed by Medical News Today say that while winter runs might necessitate some extra precautions in terms of attire and footwear, these chilly workouts provide benefits that summer exercise simply doesn’t have.
A 2021 studyTrusted Source outlined the various ways in which hot weather can make exertion and strain more difficult – findings that should come as no surprise to anyone who goes for runs in scorching temperatures.
A benefit of colder runs is the mental and emotional boost – or “runner’s high” – that helps mitigate the effects of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) during the winter months.
One intriguing factor in cold weather running is thermogenesis, which is the process through which the body produces and maintains heat in cold temperatures.
Dr. Tracy Zaslow, a primary care sports medicine specialist at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles and a team physician for Angel City Football Club and LA Galaxy soccer team, said there’s less need for the body’s cooling mechanism in cold weather, which helps boost the flow of blood.
“In warm temperatures, we have sweating as a cooling mechanism, and that takes blood from the central body to the extremities,” Zaslow told Medical News Today. “But in cooler weather, you don’t need to be sending that blood volume to the skin and extremities as much, so you have a larger blood volume available. This would enable you to run at about the same running pace, but with a lower heart rate.”
For a runner who typically works out during milder weather or indoors on a treadmill, there isn’t a lot to keep track of in terms of clothing and equipment: typically comfortable clothing along with a good pair of running shoes.
However, for those who want to brave the cold weather and get the added cardiovascular boost that comes with winter running, experts say it’s even more important to warm up properly and consider proper clothing options.
Zaslow says that cold weather tends to make the body feel stiff and tight, so it’s a good idea to do a dynamic warmup before a run. From there, it’s important to layer properly.
“Layering clothing is really important because you’ll be cold in the beginning and then as your body warms up, you’ll want to be able to peel off those layers,” she said. “Some recommendations say to dress for about 15 to 20 degrees warmer than the actual temperature because you’ll warm up by about that much during the run.”
Even though sweat isn’t generally as much of a factor in cold weather, it’s still a factor – so Zaslow recommends wearing not just layers but also moisture wicking materials that transfer sweat away from the body.
“If you wear something like cotton or wool, it gets wet, it gets close to your body, and it cools you off, which is great in hot temperatures but not so great in the cold,” she said.
“Soda has empty calories, so it doesn’t give any nutritional support, but it’s tasty so you can consume a lot of calories,” Dr. Tracy Zaslow, a pediatrician and pediatric sports medicine specialist at Cedars-Sinai Kerlan-Jobe Institute in Los Angeles, tells Yahoo Life. “Water is the best beverage kids and adults can have.”
