The Heat Is On

Aug 15, 2007 - 15:53:09 CDT.

By Sean Doerre

WATER was in abundance for athletes like junior Josh Vogel at Monday’s football workouts. The rising summer heat is a cause for concern for school officials as they work to keep players hydrated. Standard-Radio Post Photo by Sean Doerre

This summer’s heat has arrived just in time for the start of two-a-day practices for area football teams.

After two months of below normal temperature conditions the rest of the summer “should be getting back to normal,” KSAT 12 meteorologist Mike Osterhage said.

The rising temperature is an enemy football teams have to face just like injuries and the opposing team.

“Hydration is definitely something you have got to be conscientious about,” Heritage School athletic director Garrett Kunz said. “We keep water around the field at all times to keep the boys hydrated.”

Higher temperatures however, do not always result in a higher likelihood of heat related illnesses. The weather statistic to watch is the heat index which is a combination of the day’s temperature and humidity.

“The heat index is a measure of how well the body can cool itself,” Osterhage said. “People often think it’s a number to scare, but it’s legitimate.”

When watching the weather, heat indexes over 105 should raise a caution flag, Osterhage advised.

“Be very, very careful, really stay hydrated, and take plenty of breaks,” Osterhage said. “It can sneak up on you.”

There are three different types of heat related dangers.

The most common, but least serious is heat cramps, also referred to as muscle cramps or a charley horse.

The pain from the muscle cramp is often disabling for a few seconds, as the particular section of muscles knots up creating serious pain.

Heat cramps are the result of a hard day of work or play, after the body has lost sodium do to sweating.

“We probably have six different water stations, that kids have access to throughout the practice,” Fredericksburg High School athletic director Dean Herbort said. “That is basically all you can do.”

The next step up from heat cramps is heat exhaustion.

“We’ve had heat exhaustion in mild forms, mostly during football two-a-days,” Fredericksburg athletic trainer Allan Dinsmore said. “Usually it’s a couple of freshmen that come in out of shape.”

Heat exhaustion is also referred to as heat prostration or heat collapse.

The symptoms are much like that of a concussion, Dinsmore said, nausea, profuse sweating, and odd behavior.

“Once we diagnose it as heat exhaustion, we get them in the shade, and give them unlimited water,” Dinsmore said. “Depending on the seriousness, we will hold them out of the next practice.”

Kunz experienced heat exhaustion during high school working at Lady Bird Johnson Golf Course and knows the results are not pleasant.

“I was weed eating, all day with the sun just pounding on me,” Kunz said. “The next day I felt like jello, and was really weak.”

Kunz remembers the feeling lasted for about 36 hours and now stresses to athletes the importance of “getting acclimated to the heat.”

If heat exhaustion is left untreated it can quickly spiral into the sometimes lethal heat stroke

Heat stroke usually arrives with headache, dizziness, fatigue, and nausea. However in some cases the potentially deadly illness develops without warning.

The pain and discomfort that are effects of the three conditions can be avoided by simply keeping hydrated.

“We try to educate kids to stay in shape during the summer,” Dinsmore said. “During practice we provide unlimited water, and after, unlimited Gatorade.”

Light colored, loose-fitting clothing will also help prevent the chance of becoming ill.

The high school athletic trainer has also implemented a policy of weighing athletes in before and after practice.

The goal, according to Dinsmore, is to pinpoint kids who aren’t re-hydrating and stop heat illness before it starts.

A three percent weight loss during a practice is significant while 10-20 pounds lost over a 10 day period “raises an eyebrow” Dinsmore said.

FHS follows the guidelines issued by the National Athletic Trainers Association, which recommend the proper rest time and water breaks for athletes at different temperatures.

“The biggest deal of all is that we work out in morning hours, when it’s cool,” Herbort said. “We give the kids two weeks to get acclimated to the heat, which is better than going cold turkey into the heat.”

Herbort also advises his athletes to drink lots of water and stay away from sugar.