Dressing in black, drinking hot, showering with warm water: illogical tricks against the heat

Hot. So hot. So much so that I can’t think of any other way to start this article. In Madrid, the thermometer shows 39 degrees and no matter how cloudy it is, we don’t move, it gets dark or we turn the fan on all the way. We melt under a heat wave that is completely unusual for the year it comes in: mid-June. Up to 15 autonomous communities on alert for high temperatures and many, such as Castilla y León, Extremadura, Madrid and Catalonia, are on orange alert.

This is the earliest wave affecting Spain as there is data and also Busiest June in the last 20 years. The numbers the thermometers record are unimaginable, we commented on the Magnet: 68 Aemet observatory more than 40 °C was measured this week. Reached almost 43ºC in Córdoba, as well as Ciudad Real and Jaén. Albacete reached 40.6ºC. The highest temperatures were 42.3ºC in Toledo and 42ºC in Granada.

At this point where even the fan has no effect, even the spray of water we go down to buy from the supermarket on duty is not noticed and inside having windows open equals nothingWe ask ourselves: What is left to do? Shall we succumb to the overwhelming and dizzy? To spend 20 of 24 hours sweating? Showering three times a day? “Dying” from the heat?

No.

Maybe it’s time to go further. And think of what cultures that have endured the heat for centuries in the farthest and hottest parts of the world will do now. For example, desert men who ride their camels and spend long hours in the scorching sun. The question of why the Bedouins wore black in those days bothers us. It’s something science has tried to answer in dozens of studies. white t-shirt vs black t-shirt on hot days: a summer classic. Let’s start by answering that.

dark clothes are better than light

Common, mundane logic would say that white objects reflect light. Therefore, a white T-shirt will reflect most of the sunlight and not store heat. This is partially true. On the other hand, black is known to absorb heat from the sun faster than white. This is also true. In fact, black is the visual perception of a surface that absorbs all visible light areas; likewise that white is due to “bounce” of all visible light ranges. Black absorbs 98% of the radiation, we’ve explained here.

If this is the case, why do Bedouins in desert regions of North Africa wear black in sweltering areas? There must be a good reason. A study published in the journal Nature in 1980 explained that the key lies in the skin and thickness of the garment. Heat comes not only from the sun, but also from the body itself., sweaty and warm-blooded, much closer than the sun. All this body heat is reflected back to our own body when it hits the white garment that covers us. So when we wear white, we fry ourselves.

According to research, in the case of clothing, the outer layer of black fabric gets warmer as the color absorbs more heat. However, if the fabric is thick enough, this heat does not reach the skin. In this case, if the black garment is too loose and not sticking to the skin (a key factor), an upward airflow can occur in the space between the fabric and the skin, giving us a cooling sensation.

hot drinks are better

Another lesson we can learn from these desert cultures is the consumption of hot beverages during very hot times. Wait a minute, drink hot while we rot in the hellish sun? Yes, as we mentioned in this other Xataka article it is recommended to drink hot drinks when it is very hot because these help regulate body temperature better than cold ones.

There are many scientific studies on this subject: the increase in the heat load on the body from drinking a hot beverage causes an increase in global sweat production, the evaporation of which compensates for the internal heat. Especially since hot drinks are digested very quickly. Of course, this does not happen with copious meals or alcohol intake. It’s the same thing that happens when we eat spicy food: the heat we feel (and that’s not real) gives good thermal results in the body.

There’s a big difference between something that’s cool to touch or taste and something that actually cools your body. most of us we are deceived by the sensations, as described in this Healthline article. For example, when we eat ice cream, we try to get cold by eating something frozen, but this only cools our mouth for a while. When it interacts with body temperature and the digestive fire acts on it, that cooling temperature is lost.

In some cases, cooling herbs can help us withstand heat better, as they can lower the body’s temperature and cool its tissues. Some examples are: lemongrass, chrysanthemum, lemon balm, lavender, peppermint, peppermint and chamomile. Diarrhea agents also promote sweating or perspiration. These are: mint, lemon balm, catnip, elderflower and chamomile.

lukewarm shower to sweat less

All this brings us to another common question these days. Do cold showers help protect from heat and sweat? Well, as you can guess by now, no. Cold showers do not help beat the heat or prevent sweating, as body temperature is down-regulated by the action of cold water. After you finish showering, your body readjusts its temperature to the ambient temperature and regulates it instead. come on what you end up sweating more than before.

Our bodies respond more to changes in skin temperature. If we cool an area of ​​the body (for example, with a cold shower), blood flow to the skin decreases and skin temperature drops. For this reason we “feel” fresher. But because less blood flows to the skin, we will actually retain more heat inside, leading to an overall undesirable rise in temperature.

To sweat less when the weather is hot, it is best to take a shower with warm water so that the body does not regulate its temperature upwards.

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