It turns out that there may be some benefits to running in Miami in the summer... A study done back in '06 showed that spending time in a sauna post exercise may help increase endurance performance. The study, involving 6 male distance runners, found and almost 2% increase in performance after 3 weeks of sauna use. The conclusion of the study was that 3 weeks of post-exercise sauna bathing produced a worthwhile enhancement of endurance running performance, probably by increasing blood volume.
While the heat in the sauna may be slightly higher (194 degrees F) than what we usually have in Miami, the heat training we're forced to do during the Miami summers may have some endurance benefits as well. I've already witnessed this phenomena this year when lining up for a race thinking the weather couldn't be more perfect and hearing another runner complain about how hot and humid it was. It's all about what you're used to and ready for...
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16877041
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