Heat Safety

Heat cramps are the mildest form of heat illness, do not usually require medical attention, usually occur during or after exercise and affect only the specific muscles exercised.

Immersion in an ice-water bath is the best way to treat athletes suffering exertional heat stroke say the authors of a 2009 study in the Journal of Athletic Training and the American Academy of Pediatrics.

Frostbite and hypothermia aren't the only health hazards associated with winter sports.  Cold weather studies at the University of New Hampshire show increased risk for dehydration, a condition more commonly associated with hot weather. The reason, says Robert Kenefick, UNH Associate Professor of Kinesiology, is that, "People just don't feel as thirsty when the weather is cold, and when they don't feel thirsty, they don't drink as much, and this can cause dehydration."  Kenefick offers the same advice he tenders during the heat. Drink plenty of water or sports drinks, especially when exercising or working outdoors.

Sweating results in the loss of both electrolytes (particularly sodium) and water. Orange juice, moderate salting of food in the diet, and sports drinks help replace electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and chloride lost during sports. 

You've heard the old saying that the human body needs 8 glasses of water a day to stay healthy. Did you know that was a myth? In fact, it is one of the biggest pop medical myths of our time. No one is quite sure where it came from and no scientist to date has been able to prove that 8 is the number.

A number of studies in recent years have shown that sports drinks re-hydrate kids who are active in the heat better than water. Given a choice, kids will drink a lot more of a sports drink than of a glass of water. An oft-cited 1999 study in the Journal of Applied Physiology reported that drinking a properly formulated sports drink with carbohydrates and electrolytes (sodium and potassium) increased fluid intake by nearly one-third (32%) compared to water. Because they taste better than water, sports drinks encouraged kids to keep drinking until their fluid needs were met.

For proper hydration, youth athletes need to drink fluids before, during and after sports, on a schedule, not just when they are thirsty.

Athletes who exercise in hot or humid weather are prone to heat illnesses.  Here are the signs and symptoms of and treatment for the three kinds of heat illness: heat cramps, heat exhaustion or heat
stroke.

Surprising as it may seem the most important part of an athlete's diet isn't what he eats, it is what and how much he drinks. Hydration before, during and after exercise is especially important for pre-adolescent children because they have special fluid needs compared to adults, or even teenagers. As a parent or coach, here are the precautions you should take to prevent heat illnesses in exercising children and making sure they drink enough fluids.