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(HealthNewsDigest.com) – Augusta, Ga. – If you think it’s hot just being outside lately, imagine what it’s like for school athletes during summer practices. Let’s play it safe when it comes to athletes and heat safety.
Heat illness is a preventable sports injury that occurs when the body’s ability to cool itself becomes overwhelmed. During exercise, the body cools itself through sweat evaporation. However, during hot, humid weather conditions, the evaporation of sweat is hindered, making athletes more susceptible to heat sickness.
Types of heat illnesses include heat cramps, heat exhaustion and heat stroke – which can be deadly. The symptoms of heat illnesses range from mild to life-threatening. Painful muscle spasms in the legs, arms and torso usually characterize heat cramps. They can be alleviated with rest, stretching and by replacing fluids.
Heat exhaustion is displayed by unusual fatigue, nausea, headache, dizziness, vomiting and chills. To help an athlete with heat exhaustion, provide rest in a shaded area with legs elevated; remove excess clothing; and provide small amounts of liquid often. Activities should be halted for at least two hours to allow the body ample recovery time.
Heat stroke can be fatal. Call 911 immediately if you suspect a heat stroke. Symptoms include dizziness, sudden poor coordination, irritability, belligerence, confusion and even seizures. Heat stroke is a true medical emergency and must be treated at a hospital. However, you can help by rapidly cooling the athlete’s body by spraying it with water, immersing it in water or wrapping the athlete in cool, wet towels until an ambulance arrives.
You can avoid heat illnesses by following these seven safety measures:
1. Alert your coach or athletic trainer any time you don’t feel well.
2. Acclimate to hot, humid conditions by gradually increasing your workout intensity and duration over 10 to 14 days.
3. Wear loose-fitting, light-colored clothing to help promote heat loss.
4. Avoid salt tablets. Although they may be helpful for muscle cramps, they do not prevent heat illness.
5. Do strenuous exercise in the early morning or late evening when temperatures are lower. If timing is a problem, then decrease the intensity of your midday workout and increase the length of breaks.
6. When exercising outside, stay in the shade as much as possible.
7. Monitor hydration status with a body weight measurement. Ideally, body weight should be taken before and after practice to determine sweat loss.
Dehydration is a major risk factor for heat sickness. Exercising in hot, humid conditions can cause significant dehydration in as little as 30 minutes. Athletes should drink fluids regularly because thirst is not a reliable indicator of fluid needs or dehydration. Thirst mechanisms normally don’t kick in until an athlete has lost about two percent of body weight as sweat – at this level, sports performance is already impaired.
When it comes to hydration, remember these key points:
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Drink up when it’s hot and when it’s not. There should be unlimited access to fluids throughout practices and competitions.
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Drink at least 16 ounces of fluid about two hours before exercise.
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Drink at least 7 to 10 ounces every 10 to 20 minutes during exercise.
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After a workout or competition, drink 24 ounces per pound of body weight lost through sweat.
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Choose cool, lightly sweetened sports drinks when possible in order to replace sodium and other electrolytes lost during exercise
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Water hydrates, but it does not help replace sodium and other electrolytes. So, if only water is available, drink it early and often.
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Limit carbonated beverages and fruit juices since they can upset your stomach during exercise.
Athletes have a reputation for being tough. But the heat is not the time to prove it. Keep athletes safe by recognizing mild symptoms early and taking the necessary heat safety precautions to prevent more serious conditions.
MCG Health, Inc. (d/b/a MCGHealth) is a not-for-profit corporation operating the MCGHealth Medical Center, MCGHealth Children’s Medical Center, MCGHealth Cancer Center, Georgia Radiation Therapy Center, and related outpatient facilities and services throughout the state. For more information, please visit mcghealth.org.
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