Your favorite summertime playlist probably has more songs about surfing than about potential health risks. But with much of the nation having already sweated out a historic heat wave in June, health experts would like to add a note of caution to the mix.
Hot weather is like a stress test for your heart, said Dr. Lance Becker, chair of emergency medicine at Northwell Health, a health care provider in New York. And some people respond poorly to such stress. “They could have a heart attack. Their congestive heart failure symptoms could get much worse. Or they could have an arrhythmia,” the medical term for an irregular heartbeat.
The risk to your heart and brain can be serious.
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Wellness Secrets of a SuperAger 
I biked 80 km during a recent hot spell. Since I was on a rail trail I had shade over half the time. Also no hills as trains never did well on hills. I had a camel pack to remain hydrated. I averages 15 km/h when my usual average is just over 20 km/h. I did not experience the heat related symptoms yet I felt sluggish and needed more rest the following 4 days. At 69 the effects of heat can creep up on me. I was also told that the brain does not cool down very easily like the rest of the body when cooling down measures are taken.
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I would think twice about pushing myself in the heat like that. My doctor said she tells her 40 year olds to stay in when the temp is in the 80’s. My feeling is better safe than sorry. Once you are over 60 you don’t have to same resources you did earlier.
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Following my experience your point is well taken.
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When I biked from Vancouver to St John’s Nfld in 2017 I was 64. We had an year old cyclist who bike every one of the 70 days with us- 7500 km. We had all trained about 5000 km and acclimatized before we started the trek. On the hot days we would start as early as 5:30 am to cover the 135 km before it got too hot. The prairies were the hardest. They are not flat and there always seemed to be a crosswind or headwind.
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Glad to hear that you survived it.
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I wasn’t ready to quit, but if I went any further I’d have to start swimming. Cape Speare is the eastern most point of North America.
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I meant to mention the 80 year old cyclist who did the whole trip.
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