DUBLIN, Ohio — As high school athletic programs prepare to ramp up pre-season fall workouts, the excessive heat poses a health risk to student-athletes.
"There's a lot of precautions that schools need to take for their student athletes. Hydration is the biggest one," said Tim Stried, media relations director for the Ohio High School Athletic Association.
Streid said getting fluids before the students take foot on the field makes a difference.
"It's encouraging your student athletes to be hydrated, not with soft drinks. But with water, sports drinks, those are always great," he said.
According to a study conducted by the National Center for Catastrophic Sport Injury Research, at least 50 high school football players in the U.S. Have died from heat stroke after falling ill on the field in the past 25 years. Athletes in other sports are not immune from the risks.
"It's not just high school student athletes, it's all people. Does it happen? Sure. You know, there's always a case of that across the country that you hear about. Luckily, we haven't had one of those happen in Ohio for a while. We hope it stays that way. But I think that's a tribute to our coaches," Streid said.
Heat and humidity can be dangerous for student-athletes participating in outdoor practices.
Duane Sheldon, athletic director at Dublin Coffman High School said his teams keep flexible schedules.
"We try to encourage our coaches to go earlier in the day where the heats not as bad," he said.
And when it's really hot they also take uniforms into consideration.
"They might only go helmets on a day where they plan on going helmets, shoulder pads in full uniform and pants. They might just go helmets and shorts and t shirts," Sheldon added.
To protect athletes from heat injuries, the CDC suggests:
- Limit outdoor activity, especially during the middle of the day when the sun is hottest.
- Wear and reapply sunscreen as indicated on the package.
- Schedule workouts and practices earlier or later in the day when the temperature is cooler.
- Dress in light or breathable cotton clothes.
- Drink lots of fluids, including water, a sports drink, or fruit juice before, during, and after exercise.
- Take breaks while playing.
- Find shade when possible and not getting overheated.
- Place ice on a new injury or on sore muscles after exercising to reduce inflammation.