Hot weather can make even a steady session feel like you’ve accidentally entered a desert ultra.

Your heart rate climbs faster. Sweat rate goes up. Effort feels harder. And the fuelling plan that worked perfectly in spring can suddenly feel a bit optimistic.

The good news? You do not need to stop training every time the temperature rises. You just need to train smarter.

Here are our top tips for staying cool, hydrated and properly fuelled during a heatwave.

1. Train Early or Go Later

The easiest way to handle heat is to avoid the worst of it.

If you can, train early in the morning or later in the evening when temperatures are lower and the sun is less intense.

Try to avoid the hottest part of the day, especially late morning to mid-afternoon. That lunchtime run might look good on paper, but your body may disagree by mile two.

If you have a key session planned and the forecast looks brutal, move it, shorten it or reduce the intensity.

That is not weakness. That is good planning.

2. Lower the Intensity

Heat makes your body work harder.

That means your usual pace may feel much harder than normal. Instead of chasing splits, use effort as your guide.

In hot conditions, aim for:

• Easier pace
• Lower heart rate
• Shorter intervals
• More recovery
• Less ego

A smart heatwave session is one you can recover from. Not one that leaves you cooked for three days.

3. Split Your Session

If you had a long session planned, consider splitting it.

Instead of one long run, ride or hike during peak heat, try two shorter sessions at cooler times of day.

For example:

• 30 minutes early morning
• 30 minutes later evening

You still get the work done, but with less heat stress and a lower chance of feeling completely ruined afterwards.

4. Start Hydrated

Do not start a hot-weather session already behind.

In the hours before training, sip fluids steadily and include electrolytes if you know you sweat heavily or the session will be long.

A good pre-session check is simple:

If your mouth is dry, your head feels foggy, or you cannot remember the last time you had a drink, you probably need to sort that before heading out.

5. Use Electrolytes, Not Just Water

When you sweat, you do not just lose water. You also lose electrolytes, including sodium.

For short, easy sessions, water may be enough. But for longer efforts, hotter conditions, heavy sweaters, or back-to-back training days, electrolytes become much more important.

KMC ISO MIX is designed for exactly this kind of situation, helping you take on fluids, carbohydrates and electrolytes together.

Use it in your bottle during hot-weather runs, rides, races, hikes or gym sessions where sweat loss is high.

6. Keep Taking On Carbs

Hot weather does not remove your need for energy.

In fact, because the effort can feel harder, it is even more important to avoid running the tank too low.

For longer sessions, use a combination of:

• ISO MIX in your bottle
• KMC NRG Gels for fast energy
• Bars or solid fuel for longer, steadier efforts

A simple rule:

If you are training for over 90 minutes, have a fuelling plan.

Do not wait until you feel empty. By then, the wheels are already wobbling.

7. Use Cooling Tricks Before You Start

Pre-cooling can help you feel better before heading out into the heat.

Simple options include:

• A cool shower before training
• A cold drink before you leave
• A damp towel around your neck
• Keeping bottles chilled in the fridge
• Freezing part of your drink bottle so it melts during the session

If you are using ISO MIX, try making it up cold before you go. For longer rides or hikes, you can even add ice cubes to your bottle.

Tiny luxury. Big morale boost.

8. Choose Shade Where Possible

Heat is one thing. Direct sun is another.

Choose routes with shade where you can. Tree cover, canal paths, woodland trails and early morning loops can all make a big difference.

If your normal route is fully exposed, save it for cooler weather and pick something more sensible.

Your Strava map will survive.

9. Wear the Right Kit

Lightweight, breathable clothing makes hot-weather training more manageable.

Go for:

• Light colours
• Breathable fabrics
• A cap or visor
• Sunglasses
• Sunscreen
• Socks and shoes you know will not cause issues when your feet get hot

Avoid overdressing. This is not the day for “character building” layers.

10. Use Mint for a Cooling Sensation

Mint contains menthol, which can create a cooling sensation in the mouth and airways.

That cooling sensation can be useful during hot sessions because it may help the effort feel more manageable.

This is where KMC’s mint-based fuelling comes into its own. Energy gels and hydration products with a refreshing mint profile can feel cleaner and cooler than heavy, sickly flavours when the temperature climbs.

Important point: mint is not a replacement for hydration, electrolytes or common sense.

But when you are training in the heat, a refreshing gel or drink can make fuelling feel a lot easier.

11. Practise Your Heatwave Fuelling Plan

Do not wait until race day to find out what your stomach thinks of hot-weather fuelling.

Practise in training:

• How often you drink
• How much ISO MIX you use
• When you take gels
• Whether you prefer gels chilled
• Which flavours feel best in the heat
• How your stomach responds when your body is hot

The best fuelling plan is not the one that sounds perfect. It is the one you can actually follow when you are tired, sweaty and questioning your life choices.

12. Know When to Stop

Training in the heat is not about proving you are indestructible.

Stop, slow down or seek shade if you feel:

• Dizzy
• Confused
• Sick
• Chilled or shivery despite the heat
• Unusually weak
• Headachy
• Unable to cool down

No session is worth heat illness.

Adjust the plan. Live to train another day.

Heatwave Fuelling: Simple KMC Setup

For most hot-weather training, keep it simple:

Short session under 60 minutes

Water may be enough, unless it is very hot or you sweat heavily.

60–90 minutes

Use ISO MIX or electrolytes to support hydration.

90 minutes or longer

Use ISO MIX in your bottle and add KMC NRG Gels or bars for carbohydrate energy.

Long rides, hikes or race prep

Combine hydration, electrolytes, gels and bars. Practise the plan before the big day.

Shop Heatwave Hydration

We have pulled together our go-to hot-weather training products in the Heatwave Hydration collection, including ISO MIX, gels, refillable fuelling options and bars.

Whether you are running, riding, racing, hiking or just trying not to melt, it is a simple place to start.

Stay cool.

Stay fuelled.

And remember: hope is not a hydration strategy.