Concept2 Forum

Awhile back I asked about how to stay cool while rowing for distance, and several people suggested the c breeze: <a href='http://www.ps-sport.net/' target='_blank'>http://www.ps-sport.net/</a><br /><br />I now have one, and it works well, but I still overheat. Yesterday I rowed an hour with the c breeze _and_ a fan behind me blowing on my back, and I was drenched with sweat for the last half of the row, with a headache brewing from overheating. This was in a room that was probably about 68 degrees F.<br /><br />For comparison, I once biked about thirty miles in the hills outside Las Vegas when it was 103 degrees F. I went through nearly a gallon of water, but I was never sweaty and I didn't overheat.<br /><br />So, a few more questions:<br /><br /> -- Do others just not sweat so much? Is overheating not much of a problem for (all of) you?<br /> -- If you do sweat a bunch, don't you think that overheating is hurting your performance? Everything I've read says that getting too hot seriously decreases your performance.<br /> -- If you do something else to stay cool, just how many fans does it take? I'm guessing for me it would be four or five, with two just for my head (front and back). <br /> -- Or do you do something else -- frozen clothing, ice packs...<br /><br />Thanks in advance.

Room temperature seems to make a big difference for me. 68F would be very hot, I generally try to keep it no more than 61F, though even with that there is sweat dripping from head to elbows and it looks like I climbed out of a swimming pool in my clothes after the usual 8k session.<br /><br />Cycling was a different matter, on the summertime 40 mile rides, 100F+, I'd consume more than 1 gallon of water and still loose 8-10lbs during the 2 hour ride, the strangest part was that I was completely dry until stopped to refill the water bottles at halfway, and would be dry for the return trip after 5 minutes of 20mph airflow.<br /><br />One thing I've found I like on the Erg is a good long sleeve shirt of something like coolmax fabric that will become saturated, but then seems to help with quick evaporation and becomes a cooling garment.<br />

I couldn't agree more about the ambient temp. I've got an advantage here in the Yukon, I just open a window prior to erging and row at a temperature in the upper 50's. Even with that, when I race a put a large fan to my side. I only row with just shorts on, hoping that will increase evaporation. On long rows, I have a camelback hooked on the wall next to me filled with ice cubes and some sort of refreshing drink. With a long drink tube I can row without stopping and the cold liquid replaces the fluids and helps cooling from the inside .

<!--QuoteBegin-PaulS+Jan 22 2006, 06:13 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(PaulS @ Jan 22 2006, 06:13 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Room temperature seems to make a big difference for me. 68F would be very hot, I generally try to keep it no more than 61F, though even with that there is sweat dripping from head to elbows and it looks like I climbed out of a swimming pool in my clothes after the usual 8k session.[right] <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />I'm at a disadvantage since I'm rowing in my living room with my wife watching TV. She runs cold, so I can't cool the room any more. I'll try for faster times some night out on the balcony. I'll have to work on getting more air around me.

Try the garage. I agree with the long-sleeve coolmax shirt as well.

Heat is the greatest threat to erging. It affects everyone's performance and once the temperature gets above about 70F (22C) I try and avoid erging. If your just doing a general body maintenance erg then you could probably get through slightly warmer temperatures providing you have a C-Breeze and cooling fan.<br /><br />I find that erging in the heat takes a lot out of your body and requires special attention in the steps you take to recover from it.<br /><br />But spare a thought for us poor folks suffering in the heat down under in Australia.<br /><br />Yesterday the temperature in Melbourne, Australia reached 110F (43C). Many of you people on this forum would not have experienced conditions like this before. And I'm not talking about just one hot day. We have just had our hotest December on record and January is heading the same way. A cool change has just come in to drop the temperature back to 80F (26C) before it goes back over 104F (40C) on Thursday & Friday. Air conditioning in most homes struggles in this kind of heat.<br /><br />And for me this unrelenting heat means very few ergos. Fortunately I have the luxury of owning a rowing scull which I've been using instead of the erg. I had to get up 4.30 am Sunday morning to do my usual 3 hours rowing & cycling before it got too hot. It was 86F(30C) by 6 am.Even in extreme heat, because the boat is moving across water you experience some kind of cooling. On the erg, because the erg is stationary, it just gets too unpleasant to bother with it anymore. I can't wait until April because realistically I can only do worthwhile erging between the months of April to October.<br /><br />Make the most of your cooler weather because erging in the heat really sucks.<br /><br />Rockin Roland

And here I thought erging in 30Deg C + temp's with no C-breeze was normal ... <br /><br />Ray

I find a light wicking sleeveless tshirt to help (and not long sleeve). I was able to row this summer; I think I got to used to rowing when it was hot. Rowing an hour steady though it hard; you may want to practice drinking while you row (the marathon technique of grabbing the water bottle while you keep pulling), or breaking those up into 3x 20 min for example. I have a cbreeze and find that adequate most of the time.<br /><br />What is your SR? I would keep that low and avoid high rate rowing when hot. I think that helps too. Maybe SR20-24.

Even in my basement in winter (about 56 degrees farenheit) I sweat a lot after the first 20 minutes go by. This doesn't bother me a bit. In fact, in summer, the temp hits 80 and the workout feels about the same except that the sweating starts earlier. A fan is ok but I don't care for a direct wind blowing on me so I aim it at the ceiling to reflect downwards. Most times I don't bother.Hydration is very important, particularly if doing longer (more than 60 minute) pieces. I always drink a pint of water 10-15 minutes beforehand, and have a water bottle available too. Haven't had to erg in the buff yet (oops, now I have to boil my brain to get that image out). <br />Kim

<!--QuoteBegin-Roland Baltutis+Jan 22 2006, 07:28 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(Roland Baltutis @ Jan 22 2006, 07:28 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Even in extreme heat, because the boat is moving across water you experience some kind of cooling. </td></tr></table><br /><br />I wonder if putting long trays of ice water under the erg would be helpful.<br /><br />Actually I have done this, but am not sure how much difference it was making.<br />

If the humidity is greater then 40% in that room you will not cool as well. Do not worry about sweating that is great you are. The problem is room temperature and most important is the humidity level. When you get hot the body will direct some of your blood supply closer to the surface of your skin. As you sweat and the sweat evaporates a great deal of heat is lost. if your sweating and the room is very humid it will not matter how many fans you have on you. The drier the air the greater the evaporation and the better you will be able to cool your body.<br /><br />Not sure where your located but if you have a dehumidifer use it, if your in a colder region and your using your furnace make sure to turn down your *** DELETE - SPAM *** to 20%. This should help. <br /><br />If your not sure what your humidity is at in the room your erging in, try wetting a washcloth to the point it is wet but not dripping on the floor. Then hold it in front of the fan on high for about 30 seconds or so. Now feel the washcloth, if it feels very cold the humidity should be low but if it does not feel much cooler then when you started to hold it in front of the fan then the humidity may be your big problem. <br /><br />Keep your workout area cool and DRY and you will stay cooler.<br /><br />Cheers, <br /><br />Stephen <br /><br /><br /><br />O<br /><br />

<!--QuoteBegin-gcanyon+Jan 22 2006, 08:55 PM--><table border='0' align='center' width='95%' cellpadding='3' cellspacing='1'><tr><td><div class='genmed'><b>QUOTE(gcanyon @ Jan 22 2006, 08:55 PM)</b></div></td></tr><tr><td class='quote'><!--QuoteEBegin-->Awhile back I asked about how to stay cool while rowing for distance, and several people suggested the c breeze: <a href='http://www.ps-sport.net/' target='_blank'>http://www.ps-sport.net/</a><br /><br />I now have one, and it works well, but I still overheat. Yesterday I rowed an hour with the c breeze _and_ a fan behind me blowing on my back, and I was drenched with sweat for the last half of the row, with a headache brewing from overheating. This was in a room that was probably about 68 degrees F.<br /><br /> <br /> </td></tr></table><br /><br />I Row with an Air Conditioner blowing directly to me, and in distances below 10K have no problems with heat. Otherwise, in the gym, I regularly do an hour of hard cycling and let behind a good amount of sweat in the floor, but have a bottle of replenishing liquids all the time. A year ago I forgot to switch on the a/c and at the 4K mark the erg, it began to move like if it was on slides. That was because of my sweat at the floor. I recomend that split distances over 10K momentarily to hydrate, it may help you to don't overheat. You may also use the Camel type hydration systems so don't have to stop while doing long rows. I think hydration is the key to don't overheat.

I've found that if I have a fan pointed directly at my face/head, that _almost_ does the trick. I figure that if I get another fan or two, so I get my head from two sides and my back, it might just work.

First, lets review the physics involved with heat transfer. Heat passes from your warm body to the cooler surroundings. When that happens, it heats the surroundings (the air or your clothes), so you need to keep the air moving past your body.<br /><br />When you sweat, liquid forms on your skin. It takes a great deal of energy to evaporate water, so the evaporating water sucks energy (heat) from your skin. For the sweat to evaporate efficiently, the humidity in the air needs to be low rather than high. This is why humid days are so aweful - your sweat doesn't evaporate as easily, and thus doesn't cool you off.<br /><br />So the best way to stay cool is to have cool, dry air blowing across something wet on your skin (sweat, damp clothes, etc).<br /><br />One more thing to consider - your head. The body works overtime to maintain the temperature of your brain, so most heat loss is actually through your head. Make sure the fan is blowing at your head and wet it with cool water if necessary. I have the "luxury" of being mostly bald, so with a good fan blowing on my head, I have no trouble with staying cool <br /><br />Dave<br />

Likewise it's important to not wear a hat when it's hot, or at least not one that's going to retain any heat.<br /><br />I wear a wool hat when it's cold, but only use it for exercise when it is "very" cold out, and I've never used it while rowing.