This is an excerpt from Sport First Aid, Fifth Edition by Melinda Flegel; published by Human Kinetics. The book serves as the text for the Sport First Aid course, offered through Human Kinetics Coach Education.
The key to prevention is balancing all the factors that influence body temperature so that the body temperature stays within a safe range. Here’s how:
Monitor weather conditions and adjust practices accordingly. Table 11.1 shows the specific air temperature and humidity percentages that can be hazardous. Keep in mind, however that football exertional heat-related deaths have occurred at temperatures as low as 82 degrees with a relative humidity index at only 40 percent. If heat and humidity are equal to or higher than these conditions, make sure athletes are acclimated to the weather and are wearing light practice clothing. Schedule practices for early morning and evening to avoid the heat of the day.
Acclimate athletes to exercising in high heat and humidity. If you are located in a warm-weather climate or have practices during the summer, athletes need time (approximately 7 to 10 days) to adjust to high heat and humidity. During this time, hold short practices at low to moderate activity levels and provide fluid and rest breaks every 15 to 20 minutes. The National Athletic Trainers’ Association 2009 Consensus Statement offers more specific guidelines for acclimating high school athletes to hot environmental conditions. Table 11.2 summarizes the organization’s recommendations.
Switch to light clothing and less equipment. Athletes stay cooler if they wear shorts, white T-shirts, and less equipment (especially helmets and pads). Equipment blocks the ability of sweat to evaporate. It’s especially important for athletes to wear light clothing and minimal equipment while they are acclimating to the heat.
The signs and symptoms of dehydration include
Don’t rely on athletes to drink enough fluids on their own. Most won’t actually feel thirsty until they’ve lost 3 percent or more of their body weight in sweat (water). By that time their performance will have started to decrease and their risk of exertional heat illness will have increased. Also, they may not drink enough fluid to replenish the water lost through sweat.
For proper hydration, the National Athletic Trainers’ Association (Casa et al. 2000) recommends
Identifying and Treating Exertional Heat Illnesses
During physical activity, the body can produce 10 to 20 times the amount of heat that it produces at rest (metabolism). Approximately 75 percent of this heat must be eliminated. If the air temperature is less than the body temperature, radiation, conduction, and convection can help dissipate 65 to 75 percent of this heat. However, if the air temperature is near the body temperature, these modes of heat loss are less effective, and the body has to rely more on perspiration. High humidity reduces the amount of sweat evaporation, and thus leaves exercising athletes at risk of exertional heat illness.
The following sections will cover three types of exertional heat illness:
Each has different signs and symptoms, as well as different first aid interventions. Heatstroke is life threatening, whereas heat exhaustion and heat cramps typically are not. Therefore, it is important that you learn to evaluate the signs and symptoms and learn to apply the first aid techniques that are appropriate for each illness.
Learn more about Sport First Aid, Fifth Edition.
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