Heat a major concern for players

The hot August sun is a concern for athletic trainers as the football teams put on their gear and hit the practice fields.
According to Performance Therapy’s Glenn Brown, heat-related issues can be a big issue especially early in the acclimation process.
“We look for athletes who have loss of sweating, nausea, dizziness and cramps,” Brown said.
Heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heat stroke are collectively known as heat-related illness.
Heat cramps are the least serious of the three, but still may be very painful and alarming.
“They need to hydrate themselves all day long to prepare your body for the extreme water loss.
St. Edmund athletic director Thomas David said the heat is tough to handle but his players have been busy with drills all summer.
“We have water available through every drill,” and every station,” he said. “We take breaks with free access to water.
“The biggest thing is we try to get them in shape in the summer so that can handle the heat in an early season game and practices.
“It is harder to cool off with all their gear on,” the coach said. “So it takes a transition from shorts to full pads.”
Brown, a nationally certified athletic trainer also suggested athletes to take salt tablets to retain fluids and drink sports drinks with electrolytes.
Electrolytes include various essential minerals, such as sodium, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.
Water has always been considered one of the best ways to hydrate prior to activity.
“I have been doing this for so long the big thing I am worried about is heat and fluid loss,” Brown said.
“There will always injuries and muscle strains in football,” the trainer said. “That is part of the game.
“But water, water and more water is the key to prepare yourself for the activities.”
Brown suggested the players stay away from the energy drinks with the extra kick.
“That can make things worse as the heart rate goes up and that causes rapid water loss with sweat.”
“It is important what the kids put in their bodies,” David said. “But we can’t be with them all the time, hopefully something we say stays with them and they pay attention.”
Heat exhaustion is a heat-related illness that can occur after you’ve been exposed to high temperatures, and it often is accompanied by dehydration.
“We looks for signs of kids being confused, hot clamy skin and a rapid pulse,” Brown said of players suffering from the heat.
Heat stroke is the most serious form of heat injury and can kill or cause damage to the brain and other internal organs.
The medical definition of heat stroke is a core body temperature greater than 105 degrees with complications involving the central nervous system that occur after exposure to high temperatures.
Other common symptoms include nausea, seizures, confusion, disorientation, and sometimes loss of consciousness or coma.
Easpecially early in the pres-season workouts, regular breaks should be scheduled to limit excessive physical activity and allow fluid replacement.
David said his student trainers watch the team during timeouts and breaks to make sure they are ok.
“They watch the players to make sure they are all drinking water,” the coach said. “We have to protect the kids.
“The days of practice with no water are over.”