Cold Temperatures are Ideal for Distance Running. Here’s 5 Reasons Why.

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Cold Temperatures are Ideal for Distance Running. Here’s 5 Reasons Why.

Believe it or not, cold weather is actually an ideal condition for most runners according to Tom Holland, an exercise physiologist, sports performance coach, and author of The Marathon Method. "The colder the weather, the less heat stress on the body, which makes it significantly easier to run," Holland explains. "Running in hot and humid weather is extremely taxing on the body—there is a reason why the majority of marathons are held in October and November."
Source: https://www.shape.com/fitness/cardio/5-reasons-running-cold-good-you

  • We feel like running is easier in the winter. According to Professor John Brewer, head of applied science at St Mary’s University in Twickenham, London,“We ran tests on subjects in our heat lab, which involved them running in temperatures of 8°C and 24°C [the averages of a British winter and summer],” he says. The runners rated thermal sensation 32 per cent higher when running in the cold – an increase of almost a third in their level of comfort and, crucially, in their perception of their ability to sustain the effort in that temperature. In other words, you feel stronger and more confident when you are running in cold weather. Source: https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/a775630/why-you-should-run-in-cold-weather/
  • Your heart loves the colder temperatures.  Your heart has to work harder when it’s hot compared with when it’s cold. In hot temperatures,  you have to send blood to the skin to be cooled by evaporation, which means to maintain your cardiac output – how much blood you pump around the central part of the body for it to function effectively – your heart rate must go up. But in colder temperatures, the opposite is true, so you end up with greater central blood volume and can run your same pace at a lower heart rate. Source: https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/a775630/why-you-should-run-in-cold-weather/
  • You stay more hydrated. Running in the cold means you’ll need to take on less fluid than in the heat. On average, runners need twice as much fluid in the heat than they doin winter training over the course of a 40-minute run. Source: https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/a775630/why-you-should-run-in-cold-weather/
  • You won’t stay cold. However cold the day, running will thaw you from within. Muscles generate heat every time they contract, and once you start running you’ll crank up your internal thermostat. The average person experiences a tenfold increase in metabolic rate when they go from at rest to running, which brings a tenfold increase in heat production. Source: https://www.runnersworld.com/uk/a775630/why-you-should-run-in-cold-weather/
  • There are unexpected health benefits. Winter running isn’t just something you’re suffering through to get to spring - it’s actively making you healthier and stronger! Did you know that you burn more calories working out in the cold than indoors? It’s true! Your body works harder to regulate its temperature, which means you’re getting some extra burn. Your heart also works harder, so regular exercisers with strong hearts will find that they get even stronger in the winter - meaning you’re primed for a PR in the spring!