Athletes and Extreme Heat

When it feels like you’re swimming in the air and that humidity is making everything stick you seldom think “heat illness” or “hydrate.” But that’s exactly when you need to be very careful that you are adequately hydrated and are aware of heat related symptoms. Humidity hinders sweat evaporation, the body’s primary heat dissipation mechanism. When humidity is high, no matter the air temperature, that creates a heat safety concern.

Follow the activity recommendations of the National Weather Service.

Some tips from our Parisi Speed School @ Bridgewater

coaches:

• Don't wait until you're thirsty to drink fluids. Numerous studies have shown that “drinking to thirst” still results in a 2%+ loss of fluids during hot/humid conditions. And even minor dehydration impairs athletic performance.

• Avoid drinks with excessive sugar, they can promote fluid loss which is the opposite of what you want to do.

• Temperature is not temperature: The NJSIAA guidelines for hot weather training mandate the use the Wet Bulb Globe Temperature (WBGT) as the environmental monitoring measure during athletic participation. the WBGT is a measurement of ambient temperature, relative humidity, radiant heat from the sun and wind speed. (You can check the WBGT here: https://digital.mdl.nws.noaa.gov/?zoom=4&lat=37&lon=-96.5...)

• To know how much fluid you lose in a normal summer practice or exercise session step onto a scale with a full water bottle before your workout. Work out and drink all the water; when you finish, step back onto the scale. The difference in your weight is your sweat rate or how much fluid you lost. Be aware of that amount and drink at least that amount each practice/session.

Signs and symptoms of heat-related illness are varied but can include muscle cramps, nausea or vomiting, fainting, dizziness or headache, excessive sweating, low blood pressure, and vision problems. Young athletes often just know that they "feel funny." Athletes should know these symptoms and stop, hydrate and cool down if they experience any of them.

DO NOT ignore the heat.