Exercising In Hot Weather

Come the warmer months and longer days most of us start exercising more outside in a wide range of activities from walking and cycling, to tennis, triathlon and 5/side football. Most people don't consider that the climate of the southern UK is hot enough to worry about heat exhaustion, however our summers are mostly quite humid and conditions could become a high risk for heat injury at temperatures only in the mid 20s °C (low-mid 70s Fahrenheit).

How do you tell if someone is suffering from Heat Exhaustion?

Dehydration can lead to heat exhaustion. Symptoms may include:

• High heart rate
• Dizziness
• Loss of endurance/skill
• Confusion
• Nausea
• Cool skin, but paler than normal
• Little urine passed, but highly concentrated
• Cramps (assoc. with dehydration)

If someone is exhibiting signs of heat stress or heat exhaustion take the following action:

• Remove from field/court/exercise area
• Lay the victim down in a cool place
• Give plenty of cool water
• If the person is confused or unable to drink water, seek medical help immediately

 What steps can be taken to prevent people getting Heat Injury?

• Hydration – Drink up! The more you sweat, the more fluid you must consume to avoid dehydration. To diminish the risk of heat illness fluids should be consumed before, during and after activity.
  Thirst should not be relied upon as an indicator of fluid needs! It is recommended that at least 7-8ml of water per kg of body mass (that's about a pint for a 70kg/11stone person!) be drunk no more than 2 hours before exercising to promote adequate hydration.
  During exercise it is recommended to drink water at regular intervals – at least 3ml per kg of body mass (about 1 cup for a 70kg/11stone person) every 15 to 20 minutes. Water should be cooler than air temperature, and should be swallowed NOT swilled in the mouth and spat out. For activities lasting more than one hour, research indicates that sports drinks such as Powerade or Gatorade are more beneficial than water for replacing fluids, energy and electrolytes lost during exercise.
• Rest and Rotation In conditions of moderate to high risk, participants should rest/substitute 10-25% of normal playing time, or the total time of activity should be shortened by the same amount. For example, if an activity is normally one hour long, in high risk conditions a player should be able to rest for up to 15 minutes in that period. Alternatively the activity could be shortened to only 45 minutes total.
• Clothing Recommended are light coloured, loose fitting clothes of natural fibres or, even better, composite fabrics with high wicking (absorption) properties (as sold in the running section of good sports stores), that provide for adequate ventilation.
  For further information visit Sports Medicine Australia at www.sma.org.au