All Weather Training: Beating the elements #16379

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Learn to navigate the toughest conditions and get the most out of your training no matter where life takes you.

Peak athletic performance is not just about getting the most out of your body; it is also about anticipating and meeting the various challenges thrown at you by different environmental conditions, including hot and cold climates, altitudinous terrain and polluted cities.

It is also about preparing yourself to be at your best at different times of the day and in far-flung time zones.
All these issues and more are covered in this special report, All Weather Training: Beating the elements prepared for you by Peak Performance’s expert team of regular writers.

We start with a comprehensive pre-competition strategy for staying cool in the heat, move on to consider the various techniques for pre-cooling (useful in winter as well as summer!), then go on to look at the impact of pollution on performance.

Next, altitude training: does it really aid sea-level performance or is it a rather expensive waste of time? On to the problems of working out in the cold – and you might be surprised to learn that dehydration can be as much – if not more – of a problem in freezing conditions than in the heat. Which brings us neatly to our final two articles on the core issue of fluid balance, the first weighing up the pros and cons of sports drinks as compared with plain water, and the second helping you to calculate your individual fluid needs (yes, they really do vary widely) and devise your personal hydration plan.


We hope you enjoy All Weather Training: Beating the Elements and find it useful all year round. Here is a chapter by chapter break down of what you'll find in this guide:

Hot weather exercise Your pre-competition strategy for staying cool when the heat is on

Pre-cooling Staying cool is still an issue in winter – and not just for endurance athletes

Respiratory problems - Something in the air: the real problem facing the organisers of the Athens Olympics

Altitude training - Reaching for new heights: is it all a waste of time and money?

Cold weather exercise How to protect your performance as well as your health against the chill winds of winter

Fluid balance - Sports drinks or water: what is the best choice for sports performers?

Individual strategies - How to calculate your personal fluid needs

What the papers say Technical clothing offers limited benefits

What the papers say Why heat’s not such a bad thing

What the papers say Precooling: do ice jackets work?

What the papers say How to avoid heat cramps in tennis

What the papers say Sleep deprivation and performance

What the papers say How time zone travel harms performance

All Weather Training: Beating the elements is one of a series of special training workbooks from Peak Performance, the sports science newsletter. It is not available elsewhere.