Taking the heat takes time
The fall sports programs at Warren County High School and middle school are preparing to kick off their preseason training in a couple of weeks. I’m sure several athletes have already started their summer conditioning programs, and are anxiously waiting practice to officially begin.
But with the dog days of summer creeping in across middle Tennessee, exercising in temperatures climbing into the 90’s or close to 100 degrees can spell trouble for anyone who exercises outdoors.
Athletes and coaches need to be very aware of the risk of heat-related illness during this time of year and take all the necessary precautions. Heat-related illness has reached an all-time high over the past decade, mainly due to coaches felling the need to start their conditioning programs as early as possible, and not being properly trained on keeping kids hydrated.
A study conducted by the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research at the University of North Carolina found between 1995 and 2001 21 high school football players died from heat-related causes.
One thing I found interesting on the data of the study was the realization that some of the blame also falls on the kids and parents.
Basically, it said kids are not conditioned to the heat, because they spend too much time indoors watching television and playing video games. Kids don’t condition their bodies to the heat and think they can go from spending the entire summer under the air conditioner straight to the practice field.
When making the transition to the practice field, young athletes need sufficient time to adjust to the conditions. According to medical professionals, this should be done gradually with a duration of exercise over a 10- to 14-day period.
The body has an almost perfect cooling system, but it has to be properly maintained at all times during any type of exercise in the summer heat. Sweating helps maintain our core body temperature, which carries the heat away from our body as the sweat evaporates. That’s why it’s so important to replenish the body with fluids as soon as possible.
I’ve noticed over the years that when my body starts to overheat, my physical abilities start to diminish. Fatigue sets in and that’s when I start to make stupid mistakes. You lose control of your muscles and the correct posture you should be using to run, swing a bat or to make quick stop is gone.
That’s when you are most susceptible for injuries such as pulled muscles, sprained ankles and knee problems.
Our coaching staff at the high school and middle school, along with trainer Tim McIntosh, do an excellent job of making sure their athletes take all the necessary precautions to avoid any heat related injuries.
But it really comes down to each individual athlete being able to recognize the symptoms of dehydration and heat exhaustion.
Yes, one has to push oneself to the limit during practice if you ever want to improve as a player. But knowing when enough is enough is the best thing for all. Maybe the best thing to do is to get outside now and start doing a little bit of running so when practice starts, you’ll be able and ready.