 We live in an age obsessed with external gadgets and supplements promising to enhance our health. But what if I told you that your body already possesses extraordinary capabilities that most people never tap into? After completing my 24-hour UltraQuad challenge in record-breaking heat, I've been reflecting on the incredible powers our bodies demonstrate every single day. The powers we often take for granted or simply don't know exist. Your Muscles: The Ultimate Multi-Taskers Most people think muscle is just about strength and appearance. But your muscle tissue is actually a sophisticated endocrine organ, constantly communicating with your brain, immune system, and metabolism. Every time you move, your muscles release powerful chemicals called myokines that act like internal medicine, reducing inflammation, boosting cognitive function, and even helping prevent cancer. During my 24-hour challenge, I witnessed this firsthand. Despite the physical demands, my mental clarity remained sharp throughout—not despite my muscles working hard, but because of it. Research shows that contracting muscle tissue releases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), essentially fertiliser for your brain cells.  Your Adaptation Engine: Built for Resilience Here's something that amazed me during those gruelling hours in 32°C heat: my body didn't just survive, it was adapting in real-time. Your body is designed with an incredible capacity to respond to stress by becoming stronger, not weaker. Within minutes of starting my challenge, my cardiovascular system began optimising blood flow, my sweat response fine-tuned to cool me efficiently and my metabolism shifted to preserve energy stores. This isn't just happening during extreme challenges, it's occurring every time you choose the stairs, carry something, or push yourself slightly beyond your comfort zone. Your Internal Pharmacy: Chemistry You Can Control Perhaps the most remarkable discovery is that your body produces its own powerful pharmacy. During physical activity, you manufacture:
Your Longevity Shield: Muscle as Medicine What most people don't realise is that muscle mass is one of the strongest predictors of how long you'll live and how well you'll age. Your muscles act as a protective shield against:
 Your Heat Adaptation System: Built-In Climate Control My UltraQuad experience in extreme heat revealed another hidden superpower: your body's remarkable ability to adapt to temperature stress. Within days of heat exposure, your body increases blood plasma volume, improves sweating efficiency, and enhances cellular heat tolerance. This was a lesson I definitely learned during my challenge, and as prepared though I thought I was, I realise I have been much better adapted to cold exposure and acclimatisation though my year-round open water swimming than I was to heat exposure. Towards the end of my challenge I was definitely showing the effects of the stress from the heat. (Read more about this on my recent blog about coping with the heat). This isn't just about surviving hot weather—heat adaptation through exercise (like saunas or hot yoga) has been shown to improve cardiovascular health, increase growth hormone production, and even enhance mental resilience. Your body literally rewires itself to handle stress better. Unlocking Your Superpowers: The extraordinary thing about these superpowers? They're not reserved for elite athletes, they are there and waiting to be activated. Here's how: Start Moving Regularly: Even 20 minutes of resistance training twice a week begins activating muscle's endocrine functions. Embrace Progressive Challenge: Your adaptation engine needs stimulation. Gradually increase intensity, duration, or complexity in your activities. Include Heat Exposure: Whether through vigorous exercise, saunas, or hot yoga, controlled heat stress triggers beneficial adaptations. (Again, exercise caution with this one and read my blog post referenced above). Prioritise Recovery: Your superpowers develop during rest, not just during activity. Sleep and nutrition fuel the adaptation process.  The Superpower Mindset
The most important superpower might be shifting your mindset. Instead of seeing your body as something that limits you, start recognising it as an incredible biological machine designed for resilience, adaptation, and strength. Every time you feel tired, remember: your body is manufacturing energy. Every time you feel stressed, remember: your body is building resilience. Every time you challenge yourself physically, remember: you're activating an internal pharmacy more sophisticated than anything science has created. Your body isn't holding you back, in fact it's been waiting for you to discover just how extraordinary it really is. Start with one small challenge today. Your body is already equipped with everything you need.
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 As the UK braces for increasingly frequent heat waves, the challenge of staying cool and properly hydrated becomes even more critical, especially for women navigating perimenopause and menopause. What I learned during my recent UltraQuad challenge, when I experienced the early warning signs of heatstroke, reinforced just how essential it is to understand our changing bodies and arm ourselves with science-backed strategies for thermal regulation. When Your Body's Cooling System Changes Our bodies are remarkable machines, using water as nature's most efficient cooling system. When we exercise or face high temperatures, we sweat to release heat and maintain our core temperature. It's a beautifully orchestrated process—when it's working optimally. But as we enter perimenopause and menopause, hormonal changes throw our internal thermostat into chaos. The research is clear: our bodies' relationship with heat and hydration fundamentally shifts during this life stage. The hormonal reality check:
 The Science Behind Female Hydration Dr. Stacy Sims' groundbreaking research has illuminated why hydration isn't just about drinking more water—it's about understanding how hormonal fluctuations affect our body's water management systems. Her work reveals that women in menopause face unique challenges: When oestrogen levels drop, our bodies lose their efficiency at conserving sodium and maintaining blood volume. This means we're fighting an uphill battle against dehydration, even when we think we're drinking enough. With less water in our blood, the blood becomes more viscous, forcing our hearts to work harder. Heart rate climbs, power output drops, core temperature rises, and fatigue sets in faster than it used to. The solution isn't just drinking more—it's drinking smarter. When we maintain higher body water levels, our temperature control improves dramatically because our bodies can more effectively move heat around our system. Strategic Cooling: The Glabrous Skin Advantage Enter the fascinating research from Dr. Andrew Huberman on strategic cooling through our glabrous skin areas! I found this really interesting as someone who has for years thought that pouring water over my head in hot conditions is helpful, in fact this is not very effective at all. We now know that there are specialised regions—the palms of our hands, soles of our feet, and upper cheeks, which contain unique blood vessel structures that make them incredibly efficient at heat exchange. Unlike regular skin, these glabrous skin areas have arteriovenous anastomoses (AVAs)—special blood vessels that can rapidly shunt blood close to the surface for cooling. When we apply cold to these areas, we're essentially turbocharging our body's natural cooling system.*.  My UltraQuad Reality Check This science became intensely personal during my recent UltraQuad challenge. Despite thinking I was well-prepared, I found myself experiencing the early warning signs of heatstroke after the event ended. The feeling of disorientation, overheating but not sweating, and a elevated heart rate were unmistakable red flags. Thanks to my First Aid training, I immediately reached for my emergency ice pack and applied it to the palms of my hands and my cheeks—targeting those crucial glabrous skin areas. The relief was almost immediate. My heart rate began to drop, the nausea subsided, and I could feel my core temperature stabilising. This experience was a stark reminder that even when we think we're hydrated and prepared, our changing bodies can surprise us. It reinforced the importance of having both prevention strategies and emergency protocols in place. Your Heat Wave Action Plan As we face more frequent extreme temperatures, here's your science-backed strategy: Before the heat hits:
Understanding these changes isn't about limitation—it's about adaptation and empowerment. When we know how our bodies are changing, we can work with these changes rather than against them. The research from experts like Stacy Sims and Andrew Huberman gives us the tools to not just survive but thrive during this transition. As someone who coaches women through these life stages, I've seen time and again how knowledge becomes power. When we understand why our bodies respond differently to heat and hydration, we can adjust our strategies accordingly and continue pursuing the activities and challenges that bring us joy. Your body is still capable of incredible things—it just needs different support strategies than it used to. With the right knowledge and preparation, even the most challenging heat waves become manageable. Stay cool, stay hydrated, and stay informed. Your future self will thank you for the investment in understanding and supporting your changing body. Thankfully I can very much smile about my achievement in my UltraQuad in the extreme heat and that I could apply this knowledge! * https://www.hubermanlab.com/episode/supercharge-exercise-performance-and-recovery-with-cooling  |
AuthorDenise Yeats is a coach, personal trainer, endurance athlete and avid adventurer. She is passionate about supporting women to achieve their goals, working with, not against their changing physiology. Archives
November 2025
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