A heat wave is currently sweeping southern and central Quebec with temperatures from 40 to 46 degrees Celsius. Here are five gestures that could be tempted to do to cool off, but which are not necessarily good for health.
Drink icy water
Nothing is more disalstable than a large glass of water during high heat … provided that it is not ice.
“Cold water is not used to cool us,” said Ciuss de Sherbrooke family doctor, Benoit Heppell.
The temperature of drinks has no direct impact on our body temperature. On the contrary, too cold water can even cause stomach cramps.
“The important thing is to hydrate to compensate for the loss of water,” says the doctor.
You have to drink a lot, yes, but it is not necessary to drink as cold as possible.
Take cold showers
It is not advisable to take too cold showers, even less when you come back from an outdoor excursion.
The ideal is a lukewarm shower, to regulate the body temperature gently and avoid thermal shock.
Put as cold air conditioning as possible
Same principle as the icy shower.
The body regulates its temperature on its own and itself eliminates excess degrees.
In the event of a heat wave, what happens is that the body is no longer capable of eliminating excess heat. So he needs an environment in which he will be able to operate normally.
“If we put the air conditioning at 20 [degrés Celsius] In a room, it’s indeed en masse, the body will be able to eliminate this temperature, so there is no need to put this to 16, “explains Dr. Heppell.
Run out
It is well known, the heat cuts the appetite. But the body continues to have vital needs throughout the day.
Dr. Heppell thus suggests adapting by eating smaller meals.
However, he recalls that hydration is still at the heart of basic reflexes to be preserved throughout the day.
Think about it twice before making your race
Holders are not the best to practice his sport outside, Dr. Heppell recalls.
“People forget that the heat wave touches everyone. When I see a person running in full sun today, I want to tell him that now is the time, you have to go soft when you risk dehydration problems or electrolytic disorders, ”he notes.
