Sports Bottle | Hydration Critical For Athletes In August Heat
April 12th, 2009 | 
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D’monte Byrd was no different than many high school athletes when it came to proper hydration. A sports bottle full of refreshing water was his best friend on a hot summer day at football practice. But at home, his thirst quencher of choice was a sugary soft drink.
Byrd’s hydration practices took a turn for the better this summer after an emergency trip to the hospital made him acutely aware of heat’s danger on an athlete hard at work.
The Ashbrook tight end was participating in summer workouts when one leg began to cramp. His other leg soon cramped up, but Byrd thought he could stretch it out.
“That’s when it just jumped on me like a monkey,” Byrd recalled. “My whole body just locked up.”
A few gulps of water at the practice field weren’t enough at that point. This spell of dehydration required a rush to the hospital for intravenous fluids. Byrd missed the next week of practice, and he’s learned his lesson.
“That’s a pain like no other,” he said. “… Now all I drink is water. I stopped drinking sodas, stopped drinking soft drinks, everything.”
Hydration is always important during the typically hot early weeks of high school football practice. But this summer has seen unusually high temperatures, drawing more attention to athlete safety.
The high temperature reached 90 degrees in Gastonia 41 times during June and July this year compared to 10 days during the same period last year. Since official football practice began Aug. 2, the average high temperature has been 92, according to wunderground.com.
Staying hydrated
According to the National Center for Catastrophic Injury Research at the University of North Carolina, heat stroke is the third leading cause of death among athletes in the United States. Data compiled by the Center shows that 42 football players alone – 31 in high schools – have died from heat stroke across the country since 1995.
Athletes not properly acclimated to the heat are more prone to heat-related illnesses, said Keith Travis, director of sports medicine at SportsPlus Physical Therapy in Gastonia.
One way for an athlete to survive the brutally high temperatures is to properly hydrate before practice, Travis said. Local athletic trainers teach athletes an easy way to test their hydration level. Clear urine indicates the athlete is drinking enough water. Darker color can indicate dehydration or an infection.
Coaches preach to their players to drink plenty of clear fluids at home, but not everyone listens.
“The kids aren’t putting the right things in their bodies,” Ashbrook coach Greg Hill said. “They’re drinking sodas.”
Scheduling around the heat
Gaston County Schools adopted a rule in July 2007 requiring teams to halt athletic activity if the heat index – a measurement of heat and humidity – reaches 105 degrees. To check the heat index, all Gaston County high schools were required to purchase an $89 heat index monitor.
A SportsPlus trainer works with each high school in the Gaston County Schools system. It is the trainers’ job to notify each team’s coaching staff whether it’s safe to participate outdoors.
Many area football teams practice in the morning hours before the heat index reaches unsafe levels. Others practice in the evenings, and those are the teams that have been affected by the sweltering temperatures this month. Travis, the certified athletic trainer at North Gaston and Highland Tech, said three Highland Tech practices were delayed because the heat index registered 105 or more at the team’s 5 p.m. scheduled practice time. The players began their session in the gym for about 45 minutes until it was safe to proceed outdoors.
According to Gaston County regulations, teams should reduce outdoor activity and remove unnecessary uniform when the heat index registers 100 to 104. Practice time should also be curtailed during heat index of 95 to 99.
Travis said he’s never felt any pressure from the coaches to bend the safety rules even though some would rather push the envelope for the sake of extra practice time. Sarah Gaddis, a certified athletic trainer at Ashbrook, agreed.
Dennis Noble, athletic director for Gaston County Schools, has made it clear to the coaches that their athletic trainers are in charge when it comes to safety.
“All coaches are going to want to practice as long as they can practice to get ready for the season, but they’re smart enough to know athlete safety comes first,” Noble said.
Trainers monitor players for signs of trouble, including exhaustion, headache, muscle cramping, dizziness, nausea, thirst and decreased athletic performance. Coaches are educated on heat safety at clinics, and the N.C. High School Athletic Association handbook lists heat and humidity guidelines.
Water breaks
The NCHSAA recommends water breaks every 20-30 minutes, depending on practice conditions. Local coaches say they make water available at all times.
“We make it very clear: They have the option at any time – game or practice – to take themselves out,” Forestview football coach Chris Medlin said. “They know their bodies more than we do.”
A team can go through anywhere from 20 to 100 gallons of water at a single practice depending on the number of players, Travis said. His teams have used at least 25 percent more water this August than in previous years.
Water breaks aren’t the only precautionary measure taken against heat-related illnesses. Trainers also apply iced towels to an athlete who needs to cool down.
The state high school athletic association requires an acclimatization period for football:
* First three days – Helmets are the only football gear allowed.
* Days 4-6 – Shoulder pads are permitted, but no body-to-body contact is allowed. Practice during these first six days is limited to two hours per day.
* Days 7-9 – Full uniforms may be worn, and body-to-body contact is allowed.
* Day 10 – Scrimmage or game participation allowed.
So far, so good
Noble reporter no severe heat illnesses in the county this season. Travis has seen a few minor cases, including one football player whose heart rate jumped quickly.
Different athletes require different precautions, a lesson Ashbrook lineman Quincy Teasley learned the hard way.
Unlike Byrd, Teasley was consuming water at home in addition to practice. But at 6-foot-3, 340 pounds, he needed more fluids than he realized. Last week during wind sprints near the end of practice, Teasley felt dizzy and knelt down.
As a senior, Teasley doesn’t want to take any shortcuts. His competitive side told him not to stop. His body sent a different message.
Teasley wound up visiting the hospital for fluids but recovered in time for the next day’s practice.
Despite his medical emergency, Teasley doesn’t feel unsafe practicing in the sizzling heat. He blames nobody for his dehydration and believes his coaches and trainer pay adequate attention to each player’s health and safety.
“It’s almost mandatory that you drink water,” Teasley said. “They’re making sure that you have enough water. They’re always concerned.”
You can reach Phillip Gardner at 704-869-1843.
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