Arkansas Sports 360 - ArkansasSports360.com

8/16/2010 at 9:32am

Heat has caused a number of issues for Arkansas high school football teams this month. Players at Camden Fairview, Lamar and Pulaski Academy have been hospitalized and listed in critical condition after being overwhelmed by the triple-digit temperatures.

What can be done to avoid similar situations?

Luke Matheson, publisher of ArkansasVarsity.com, provides some tips in a lengthy piece on his website. Matheson talked with athletic trainers B.J. Maack and Jason Cates for their insight.

Below are a handful of the tips offered to Matheson by Maack and Cates: More can be found at ArkansasVarsity.com, part of the Rivals network.

Have a designated break plan: With the amount of heat and humidity in Arkansas since practice started, it is recommended to take breaks every 20 minutes. Make sure your athletes have ample time to get out of their helmets and pads. Give them time to cool off and take in fluids.

-Take notice of symptoms: Ask your athletes about the color of their urine. If their urine is light yellow to dark yellow, they are already dehydrated. Make sure they get fluids, and if their urine is very dark, hold them out of practice and make them hydrate themselves.

-Weigh athletes before and after practice and games: If an athlete loses more than 5% of their body weight during a practice, they are at an elevated risk to become a heat casualty. Your athlete needs to ingest 20 ounces of fluid for every pound lost during practice or a game. The athlete needs to ingest the proper amount of fluids within two hours of the completion of practice.

Matheson has more tips on his website. It’s a must-read for anybody planning to be in this record August heat, whether you’re an athlete or not.

Tagged: Pulaski Academy, football, Heat Advisory, Camden Fairview, Lamar High