When you run in hot climates your performance drops, it's normal. But perhaps there's a way to avoid it or at least reduce how much your performance is affected when you run in climates of 30 degrees or more: by acclimatizing.

Acclimatization allows your body and mind to "get used to" working in heat conditions, and therefore when you reach the decisive moment in a hot climate race like Sol y Arena, for example, you'll be able to handle high temperatures better.

So far it has been seen that with acclimatization protocols of 7 to 14 days the best results are obtained, but a study recently published in the United Kingdom analyzed the effects of a protocol of only four days and obtained interesting results.

21 moderately trained athletes were divided into three groups: one group that would train twice a day in heat conditions (35°C), another group that would train only once a day in heat conditions, and another group that would train in "normal" conditions (21°C) as a control group.

They did a three-kilometer test at 30°C before and after the training sessions and found that the groups that trained in heat improved their performance by 3.5% (double session group) and 2.8% compared to the initial test, while the control group had a non-significant improvement of 0.6%.

The study results suggest that training in heat conditions (30°C or more) prior to an event that will also be run in hot climate can reduce the negative effects of heat on performance. The study used an unusual protocol since the tests were running and the training was on a bike, but still an improvement was seen.

Much more research is needed to define exactly which acclimatization protocol could improve performance the most, but this study reminds us that it is possible to take measures and train specifically to not fall apart in very hot races. Keep in mind that you need to be prepared and very well hydrated if you're going to attempt training in very hot and humid climates.