A new study says that every year, about 10,000 US high school athletes suffer from heat-related illnesses that require medical attention, . The say the overwhelming majority of these illnesses, like heat stroke and severe dehydration, occur in August.
But high schoolers aren't the only athletes suffering from this summer's extreme temperatures. Here are five tips we learned from the article to keep all athletes active outside and out of the hospital:
1. Take the intensity or duration of your workouts down a notch for two to three weeks. It takes that long to get acclimated to the heat. Once you are, you can gradually ramp up your workouts again.
2. Triple whammy: try to stay in the shade, take more frequent breaks, and wear breathable, light-colored clothes. These actions should all help keep your core temperature down.
3. Stay hydrated–before, during and after your workout. Try drinking 16-20 ounces of sports drink an hour before, and four to 16 ounces every 15-20 minutes during your workout.
4. High ozone days are a no-go. Check for the daily air quality rating of your city to determine if there's a high probability that pollutants will irritate your lungs.
5. Exercise early in the morning. Not having the sun beating down on you is a plus, and the temperatures are usually the coolest they can get at that time. So get up and go–and take a nap later.
If you're not feeling great, check yourself for these : nausea, vomiting, muscle cramps, headache, dizziness, weakness and fatigue.
–Erin Beresini
Photo courtesy Tobyotter on Flickr.