The outside temperature directly affects the human body. In extreme heat or prolonged periods of exposure to high temperatures outdoors, our bodies work overtime to regulate temperature. A great deal of energy is needed to maintain a normal and constant body temperature, even more so on very hot days. All this energy use can make us feel tired and sluggish.
There are those who feel tired, sleepy or sleepy all the time. This sensation of summer and hot areas tend to increase if we do not take into account its origin and how to avoid it.
Heat changes our body
To maintain an average body temperature of 34 or 35 degrees, vasodilation needs to occur. This is the process by which blood dilates, allowing more blood to flow near the surface of the skin, which releases heat. This allows us to cool down, but it can also make us appear “flushed.” This consumes energy and can make a person tired.
Sweating is another process our body goes through to keep us cool. This allows the skin to cool down as sweat evaporates. However, indoors, sweating causes both a person’s heart rate and metabolic rate to increase, which can use up large amounts of energy. Excessive sweating can make us feel extremely tired and sleepy.
On the other hand, we also dehydrate easily in the sun. The body works harder to maintain our core temperature and we may lose additional fluids if we are also sweating. Also, we often forget to increase our fluid intake when we spend a lot of time outdoors.
It’s not just high temperatures, it’s sun exposure in the summer that can really make you drowsy. A sunburn can cause permanent damage, including skin cancer. But fatigue can be a problem, even with seemingly minor sunburn . As skin cells work to reverse chemical changes in the outer layer, massive amounts of energy are used as the body works overtime to repair the damage.
How to avoid tiredness?
Whether we are in the pool, in the garden or just relaxing in the shade, high temperatures will make us feel tired. The best way to stop or even reverse this is by staying hydrated. Hydration replaces fluid loss caused by sweating. It is important to drink before you feel thirsty. When we start to feel thirsty, that means we have already lost some of our body fluid. As a result, the body loses blood volume, so the heart has to pump even harder to get blood, oxygen, and other nutrients to the brain.
If water is not our thing, we can try eating watermelon or drinking coconut water. The electrolytes and nutrients can act as a natural energizer as the body regulates temperature.
