Many fall sports arebeginning conditioning and practice as many student-athletes head back toschool. In many places, the summer heat will continue, which may be dangerousfo
By GinaCherundoloAccuWeather.com
Many fall sports are beginning conditioningand practice as many student-athletes head back to school. In many places, thesummer heat will continue, which may be dangerous for athletes who aren't usedto exercising in the heat.
Heat-related illnesses, such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke (hyperthermia),occur when the body absorbs more heat than it can release it, causing thebody's temperature to rise. If left untreated, heat stroke can befatal.
CNN reports that six football players, two from college and four from highschool, died of heatstroke in 2008. According to the National Center forCatastrophic Sport Injury Research, 39 football players have died from heatstroke since 1995.
Mayo Clinic recommends athletes gradually adjust themselves to the heat over aperiod of up to two weeks. Heat acclimatization is recommended for the body toadapt to living and working in a warmer environment. This is especiallyimportant to athletes who may have stayed indoors for much of the summerseason.
Provine High football players drink water to combat the heatduring high school football practice Monday, Aug. 3, 2009, in Jackson, Miss.(AP Photo/The Clarion-Ledger, Vickie D. King)
According to Dr. DougAukerman, associate professor in the Department of Orthopedics and SportsMedicine at the Pennsylvania State University's Milton S. Hershey MedicalCenter, heat acclimatization is an NCAA-mandated requirement.
"Football players wear shorts,t-shirts and helmets rather than the full uniformuntil they are used to the weather, Aukerman said. "This period allows them tobecome more tolerable to the heat stress in coming weeks."
Athletes should also keep themselves hydrated both before and duringactivity.
"Heat illness covers a wide spectrum of symptoms, anything from dry mouth andthroat, severe thirst, dehydration, chills, lightheadedness, cramping andfainting," Aukerman said. "Heat illness can become very serious in a shortamount of time...once you stop sweating, you are in trouble."
Carly Porter contributed to the content of this story.
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