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The Last Word

Staying healthy in the heat

By Douglas J. Casa ’97 Ph.D.

 

Drinking plenty of water is an important way to prevent heat stroke when exercising in hot summer weather.

Drinking plenty of water is an important way to prevent heat stroke when exercising in hot summer weather.

Each summer, we hear about another student-athlete at the youth, high school or collegiate level who has died on a practice field while performing intense exercise in the heat. This problem is getting worse and at a pace that we cannot completely explain, despite all the scientific information available today.

I once had an exertional heat stroke. At age 16, I was running a 10K race in upstate New York. Many of the factors leading to my heat stroke were preventable and even bordered on negligence or at least lack of common sense. The 25-lap race began in the middle of the day during a heat wave, even though events with much less risk were being run in the evening. There also was no hydration permitted during the race. Imagine a bunch of teenagers running in extreme heat without being allowed to have fluids.

I first contemplated all this as I sat in my recovery room in a Buffalo hospital and over the past 24 years have spent my professional career as a UConn professor making every effort to prevent sudden death in sport. This is my message to my extended UConn family, intended not to frighten but to inform you: Think very carefully when you drop your child off at the next practice. You need to realize that nearly every case of heat stroke and sudden death in sport is preventable through better prevention strategies or an enhanced treatment plan.

Exertional heat stroke is preventable by drinking enough fluids (water or a sports drink) before, during and after competing; by properly preparing your body for the stress of exercise in the heat (heat acclimatization); by phasing in the intensity, duration and equipment; and by assuring that proper medical staff (athletic trainer) is present to institute proactive prevention, recognition and treatment plans. Exertional heat stroke is 100 percent survivable if the proper treatment is provided immediately.

In youth league activities and in organized adult leagues, coaches are often given the responsibility of providing a safe environment for athletes. However athletic health care should be left to medical professionals such as athletic trainers and team physicians. There are a wide variety of reasons an athlete may collapse on a hot day (besides exertional heat stroke), including head injuries, spinal cord injuries, a cardiac problem, asthma, diabetes, a lightning strike or some other medical cause. Additionally, it is imperative that athletes and parents utilize the onsite medical staff to consult with regarding predisposing medical conditions, concerns regarding safety, rehabilitation of injuries, and questions regarding health issues.

This will help you or your child not only stay healthy and fit but also enjoy the competition even more.

 

Douglas J. Casa, Ph.D., ATC, FACSM, FNATA, is associate professor of kinesiology, director of athletic training education and a research associate in the Human Performance Laboratory in the Neag School of Education at the University of Connecticut.