Dr. Lindsay Baker of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute told attendees at the NFL's Youth Football Summit Thursday in Canton, Ohio, that heat and hydration issues affect athletes on two levels.
In addition to the serious health and safety issues from extreme dehydration and heat illness, Baker also pointed out that lower levels of dehydration can create performance issues.
Baker's presentation was the one focused specifically on "Heat and Hydration Issues," but the youth sports administrators and high school coaches who attended the summit also heard about the issue at other times during two days of educational sessions.
Bob Gray of the Cleveland Clinic listed three key areas - heat illness, ACLs and concussions - in his "Play Safe" session on Wednesday.
Bill Parisi, in his opening session on performance training, pointed out progress in training methods by reminding coaches of the days when taking salt tablets and limiting water intake were believed to be the answer.
Baker said her professional goals and the goals of GSSI are to "try to help athletes by figuring out what their needs are and applying it on the field."
With early-season practices in higher heat approaching, coaches are advised to monitor their athletes. Heat incidents are the second-leading cause of death in athletes behind heart attacks.
"Heat and hydration is one of the biggest issues you have to overcome in practice," Baker said. "Staying hydrated and staying cool is the best way to keep players safe and performing better."
Football equipment complicates the process.
"As long as athletes can sweat and evaporate sweat from the body, that's a very effective cooling mechanism," Baker said. "Helmets and football equipment make that more difficult."
Baker offered five tips for dealing with the heat: staying hydrated, removing helmets often, exposing as much skin as possible, avoiding stimulants such as ephedra and using cold tubs.
There are several ways that dehydration impairs performance. Among those listed by Baker were: stamina, focus, power, sprint speed, coordination, mental accuracy, heat illness and slowing the body's acclimation to heat.
Baker warned that the body's acclimation to exercise in the heat takes place over a period of 5 to 15 days. Because of that, athletes should be encouraged to get their bodies used to the heat prior to practice, but coaches should also gradually work up the intensity over the early days of practice.
Sweat patterns that are isolated to the forehead and the triangle of the chest down to the abdomen may be an indication that an athlete is not yet acclimated to the heat.
"Acclimated athletes sweat more broadly, which is beneficial because there is more surface space to evaporate," Baker said.
Baker advised coaches to monitor athletes who are struggling with the heat to make sure fatigue and cramping are not progressing to more serious heat illness.
Athletes who have shown a history of heat problems or have been recently ill are susceptible to a repeat.
"Susceptible athletes are those who have recently had diarrhea or vomiting and have lost electrolytes," Gray said.
Gray's presentation included preparation for medical emergencies, including serious injuries or issues like heat illness. He suggested that emergency action plans need to be in place in advance in order to deal with life-threatening issues as efficiently as possible.
Gray gave the example of the treatment Kevin Everett received on the field after suffering a broken neck in a Buffalo Bills game in September of 2007. Everett recovered from a life-threatening and potentially paralyzing injury to walk again.
"If you watched the unfortunate episode of Kevin Everett, you saw an emergency plan at its absolute best," Gray said. "What happened with him is history."
Story courtesy of Red Line Editorial, Inc.