My local pool has just raised the water temp to 30 ' C ( 86 ' F ) ! At this temp I am exhausted after 4 lengths. A full workout of 60 to 90 mins is impossible without suffering heat exhaustion. They have already had 1 swimmer collapse on poolside after swimming hard for 40 mins.
This has happened because a ' disabled swim group ' who use the pool for 45 mins once a week keep complaining about how cold the pool is. The pool management can't figure out the pool temp software so the temp is set that high for 24/7. It used to be 27' C ( 80.6' F ) and was then raised to 28'C (82.4 ' F ) 1 year ago.
I can't set workouts for my club that cause heat distress if carried out so it is a nightmare. My training is on hold until i can change this and I will have to move my masters club to another pool if not changed. Maybe ' Shaky's ' pool has space for us ?
Emmet Hines in his book says that 82 ' F ( 27.7' C ) is ideal for training, and that anything over 84' F ( 28.4 ' C ) is too hot.
Does anyone else suffer through hot water temperatures ? Can anyone recommend online research that I can use to prove the dangers of excercising in hot water ?
Gareth,
Not sure about following your thought about sweating into the water as a cooling mechanism for the body. My understanding (once agin could be wrong) is that when sweat evaporates off of the skin that is where the cooling takes place. Now sweat in water wouldn't evaporate but would be absorbed (could be a better term for it) so no cooling would really be taking place regardless of how warm or cold the water is. The cooling effect by water would be more of a conduction process. I think the issue of uncomfortable versus harmful is a little blown out of proportion. When the air temp is in the mid 80's you don't see health warnings in regards to exercise (usually that is reserved for 90's). Also don't forget about waters ability to absorb more heat than air so even 85 water is till going to absorb your bodies heat quicker than 85 air (thats why a person in 40 degree water may only last 1/2 hour at best even with physical activity while someone could exercise on land for an hour or two without any ill side effects). Pool temp is real personal, look at how many people have posted the range they like to work out in (even a 70 degree which most would find too cold) to each their own.
Gareth,
Not sure about following your thought about sweating into the water as a cooling mechanism for the body. My understanding (once agin could be wrong) is that when sweat evaporates off of the skin that is where the cooling takes place. Now sweat in water wouldn't evaporate but would be absorbed (could be a better term for it) so no cooling would really be taking place regardless of how warm or cold the water is. The cooling effect by water would be more of a conduction process. I think the issue of uncomfortable versus harmful is a little blown out of proportion. When the air temp is in the mid 80's you don't see health warnings in regards to exercise (usually that is reserved for 90's). Also don't forget about waters ability to absorb more heat than air so even 85 water is till going to absorb your bodies heat quicker than 85 air (thats why a person in 40 degree water may only last 1/2 hour at best even with physical activity while someone could exercise on land for an hour or two without any ill side effects). Pool temp is real personal, look at how many people have posted the range they like to work out in (even a 70 degree which most would find too cold) to each their own.
