Mahlon Joseph Bourgeois
July 7, 2009
Ronnie Jerome Labit
July 9, 2009
With the arrival of summertime comes the arrival of the unbearable summer temperatures leaving locals looking for shelter and cranking the air conditioners up in an effort to “beat the heat.”
Athletes, on the other hand, sometimes aren’t so lucky. No matter how hot, they still have to take to the field for summer drills or play outdoors in summer leagues in preparation for the upcoming season without the luxury of standing in an air conditioned room all the time.
However, according to Dr. Greg Stewart of the Tulane Institute of Sports Medicine, there are precautions athletes and others who spend extended amounts of time outdoors can take to ensure they are safe.
The most important thing for anyone to remember is to find shade during any break, says Stewart. He also reminds athletes to stay away from dark colors and keep water on hand if you plan on being outside for an hour.
However, if extended stays outdoors are in order, it is best to carry a sports drink rather than just water.
“If longer than (an hour), you need some sort of sports drink to be able to replace a lot of the sweat that you are losing,” he said.
When it comes to athletics, Stewart admitted that if teams in south Louisiana really followed recommendations about staying out of the heat, they would never be able to practice or play sports.
“It’s just always so hot here that it’s impossible not to practice in the heat,” he said. “It’s just being smart and staying ahead of everything. Just be aware of the danger heat can bring on and that it can come on pretty quick.”
“Our athletes do is drink a big glass of some sort of sports drink and eat a healthy meal a few hours before a game,” he said. “We also tell the athletes to drink a big glass of some sort of sports drink and do it every 20 to 30 minutes they are on the field.”
According to an article on the NCAA Web site, if the air temperature is mildly warm, the body can release a portion of the internal heat overload through sweat evaporation. When high humidity is coupled with warm air temperature, the body’s thermal stress is doubled and the body’s ability to evaporate the sweat and cool itself may be stifled.
Recently, the National Football League and Gatorade partnered to launch the “Beat the Heat” campaign after research conducted by the Gatorade Sports Science Institute found that as many as 70 percent of high school football players could show up for practice poorly hydrated. Drinking fluids prior to practice increased the number of players appearing to be adequately hydrated.
As part of the “Beat the Heat” program, NFL players, coaches and their wives will lead hydration awareness efforts while raising funds for the Kendrick Fincher Memorial Foundation (KFMF).
The KFMF was founded by Mike and Rhonda Fincher in memory of their son Kendrick, who succumbed to complications from heat stroke during the summer of 1995.
Locally, Stewart said it’s more about being aware of the situation, and not waiting until the last minute before taking action.
“One thing we do is have the athletes weigh themselves in the morning and then when they finish at the end of the day,” Stewart explained, “so they know how much weight they lost and how much they need to drink They need to weigh themselves again in the morning and if they are already behind in their weight, there is a chance they will end up dehydrated.”
When overheating does occur however, IVs to limit cramping and sticking the hands in ice water up to the elbow can help cool the body off.
Early signs of possible overheating are the hands and feet beginning to swell, the feeling of dizziness and an inability to sweat.
The general consensus among teams in the area is to hold workout sessions in the coolest parts of the day, the mornings and late evenings, according to Stewart.
Thibodaux High head football coach Dennis Lorio said he is fortunate enough to have a trainer, Jerry Blackwell, with college experience. Blackwell tests the humidity levels and heat index before the Tigers hit the practice field.
“He does the test on the humidity level and the heat index, he does all of that. Whatever he says, we do. If he says stop practice, that’s what we do,” Lorio said. “As coaches we are so focused on what we are trying to do coaching-wise that it is very beneficial to have one person focus solely on the heat. That is a big help.”
In the most severe cases of heat sickness, death can occur as in Fincher’s case, according to Stewart.
“We just have to be smart,” Stewart said. “If you start getting thirsty, then you are already too far behind. It’s going to be hard to catch up. You have to stay ahead of being thirsty.”
Youth soccer players take a break in the shade to rehydrate during the K&M Premiere Soccer Camp at The Lakes. * Photo by KEYON K. JEFF
