There are many strategies for how to cool down your body. CORE gives precise information on which ones work best for you.

How to cool down your body

If you’re like most athletes, you know many strategies for how to cool down your body. Hydration, cooling vests, ice packs, clothing choices, wet towels, shade, and wind (or fans, indoors) can all play important roles. But each strategy may work better in some circumstances than others. And each athlete reacts differently to each strategy. So how do you know which is the best strategy for you, in each situation, for how to cool down your body?

Measuring core body temp with CORE

The most important gauge of how hot you are is your core body temperature. The temperature of your skin, your ear, or your forehead may or may not be related to how much total heat is in your body. But your core body temperature indicates the most critical information – it lets you know how much you need to cool down your body to perform at your best.

The CORE body temperature sensor is the most accurate non-invasive method to measure your core body temperature. Most of us cannot accurately predict our core body temperature “by feel”. We’re falsely influenced by our skin temperature, or how much we are sweating. However, the CORE sensor continuously and accurately records your core temp and instantly transmits it to your mobile device, smart watch, or cycle computer.

This constant monitoring, combined with CORE’s accuracy, precision and reliability, are ideal for figuring out how to cool down your body most efficiently.

Various cooling strategies

CORE has documented numerous strategies for how to cool down your body in the article Cooling and Hydration Strategies for Top Athletes. It discusses internal and external cooling, as well as pre-cooling, per-cooling (during performance), and post-performance cooling. Another excellent resource for how to cool down your body is the article from Thomas Solomon, PhD, Beat the heat – how can you keep your cool on race day. It discusses detailed, science-based approaches.

Those looking for a scientific overview of how to cool down your body should read Heat alleviation strategies for athletic performance: A review and practitioner guidelines. It discusses the physiology behind the top heat relief techniques implemented immediately before during competitive events.

Testing different strategies

When trying to figure out the best way to cool down your body, it’s important to know which strategies work in which environmental conditions – the different combinations of sun, shade, humidity and wind conditions that occur during training and racing. Also, the best way for you to cool down you body may differ from that of your training partner.

The CORE body temp sensor gives objective data about each way you cool down your body. You can try each strategy under a variety conditions – each time noting your temperature before and after you try that strategy. You may also notice the effectiveness varies not only because of environmental conditions, but also during different sports (ie. cycling versus running) or during different intensity efforts (climbing a steep grade versus a long, fast descent). 

Repeated trials, with careful recording of data, will give you your own personal database of how to cool down your body in a variety of situations. Then, when training and racing, you’ll have an entire arsenal of tools to keep your body temp cool and perform at your very best.