Temperatures will soon start to cool across the United States, but as fall sports enter the competition phase, proper heat and hydration protocols are as important as ever.

 

Dr. Rebecca Stearns and Luke Belval of the Korey Stringer Institute at the University of Connecticut said education about proper heat and hydration management is growing but many people still cling to some falsehoods.

Stearns is the vice president of operations and education at KSI. Belval is the director of military and occupational safety. They recently offered six misconceptions commonly held by coaches, parents and athletes.

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Myth: It has to be hot to suffer heat illness.

Heat illnesses cover a wide spectrum of situations. Exposure can come from either environmental heat – namely air temperature – intense exercise or both.

“If athletes are working intensely, it drives their body temperature up,” Stearns said. “This happens more often in combination with high temperatures but also can occur in what would be considered a moderately warm day.”

Take the story of University of Miami offensive lineman Hunter Knighton, who was treated at KSI as part of an 18-month recovery following a near fatal heat stroke on a 70-degree day.

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Myth: Heat illnesses progress in stages.

Contrary to popular belief, heat illness does not exist in a continuum. Athletes do not necessarily experience heat cramps before heat syncope or heat exhaustion before heat stroke.

“Once a body temperature hits 104 or 105 degrees, an individual can go directly to heat stroke without any previous signs of other heat illnesses,” Stearns said. “There’s no buildup from one to another. That’s why knowing all the signs and symptoms are important.”

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Myth: Caffeine ruins hydration.

Regular amounts of caffeine or sodas will not affect an overall hydration plan, Belval said. The key, as with everything, is moderation.

“As long as you are not excessively consuming caffeine, you will be OK,” Belvel said. “One or two cups of coffee or soda will not affect hydration. If you drink 16 ounces of soda, you still get some water with it, albeit less than if ou were to drink the same amount of water.”

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Myth: Heat illness in any form is potentially fatal.

Heat stroke is the only condition that can be fatal, which is why adults should know the signs and make it part of an emergency action plan.

“People need to know the differences between heat exhaustion and heat stroke – both so they react quickly but also properly,” Stearns said. “The signs and symptoms are similar, but the No. 1 difference is body temperature. You need an accurate way to tell if someone rises above 104 degrees.”

A Heads Up Football Player Safety Coach in Missouri recently used his heat training to attend to a baseball umpire who collapsed between innings.

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Myth: The skin of someone suffering heat stroke will feel hot and dry.

Not necessarily. The skin will often feel wet and clammy as the victim’s body attempts to fight off high internal temperatures.

“The only valid way to accurately measure body temperature in someone who has been exercising intensely is through a rectal thermometer,” Stearns said. “To some parents, that might sound extreme, but it’s standard care in the medical world.”

Exercise creates changes within the skin, which can make typical temperature devices inaccurate. If there is any question, proceed as if it’s heat stroke and insist that the certified athletic trainer or emergency technicians on site take a rectal temperature reading first to determine the course of action.

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Myth: Heat stroke can kill in minutes.

Death from heat stroke typically doesn’t come until a day or two after collapse as organs suffer and eventually shut down. But lifesaving measures within the first 30 minutes of onset are critical for survival. That’s why recognition and total body immersion in ice water is so important.

“People often confuse cardiac arrest deaths with heat stroke deaths because they can look the same at first,” Belval said. “But if someone has cardiac arrest, they can die waiting for the ambulance or more often at the hospital. Heat deaths will take longer, often times a day or two later. That’s why quick action saves lives.”

In the past 10 years, more than 35 college and high school athletes have died following heat stroke.

“All of those deaths were preventable,” Belval said.