By: the Spooner Sports Medicine team
It’s officially the hottest stretch of the year, and heat exhaustion doesn’t just show up on the sports field. It can happen on a walk, in the garden, at a kid’s outdoor practice, or just running errands in the middle of the day. Knowing the difference between feeling overheated and something more serious can make all the difference in how quickly you recover.
Heat-related illness exists on a spectrum, starting with milder issues like heat cramps, moving into heat exhaustion, and ending with heat stroke, the most dangerous stage. Heat exhaustion means your body is struggling to cool itself down and is losing that battle. Left untreated, it can progress into heat stroke, a true medical emergency that can cause organ damage or worse. The good news is that heat exhaustion is very treatable if you catch it early, whether it happens during a workout or in the middle of a normal afternoon running errands.
Symptoms AND SIGNS YOU ARE EXPERIENCING HEAT EXHAUSTION ARE:
- Core body temperature of 96.8 to 105
- Fatigue and weakness
- Pale skin, heavy sweating, and chills (may stop sweating if progressing to heat stroke)
- Dizziness or lightheadedness
- Nausea or vomiting
- Headache
- Decreased blood pressure
- Muscle cramps, spasms, or twitches
- Loss of coordination or disorientation
- Irritability or changes in personality
Knowing what’s “normal” for yourself, a family member, an athlete, or someone you’re keeping an eye on is key here. A change in personality is one of the biggest signs that heat exhaustion is progressing toward heat stroke, so be sure to stay alert and aware.
ATHLETES ARE AT GREATER RISK OF HEAT EXHAUSTION, SO STAy alert!
Athletes are competitive by nature, and feel compelled to stay in the game and push through adversity. But when it comes to heat safety, this is exactly what makes heat exhaustion so dangerous in sport settings. There is no game worth the risk that heat exhaustion can cause.
With club ball, tournaments, and summer conditioning running right through the hottest months, here are a few things to keep in mind if you’re watching out for a young athlete:
- Pull the athlete immediately. If a player is showing symptoms, don’t wait for a break in play or let them “shake it off.”
- Teach your athlete to communicate regularly with coaches and athletic trainers. If they have a sports medicine team, get to know their plan for heat exhaustion prevention and what they’re watching for. Athletic trainers who are on-site know what’s normal for their athletes, push hydration proactively, and are trained to catch early warning signs before they escalate.
- No sports medicine team? Then you’re the advocate. That responsibility falls on you and the coaching staff, so don’t be afraid to speak up and pull an athlete from play if something feels off.
- The risk doesn’t stop at the sideline. Weight rooms, turf fields, and indoor conditioning sessions can all trap heat just as easily as a practice field in direct sun, so don’t let “we’re inside” or “it’s just lifting” lower your guard. Monitoring an athlete’s schedule to ensure proper recovery helps lower the risk.
- Call 911 if symptoms look severe or aren’t improving.
- Always have a plan. What are your options for cooling an athlete, and are these options readily available if they start showing heat related symptoms?
Athletes can also take an active role in lowering their own risk:
- Track weight before and after workouts, games, or training sessions. Every 1 kilogram lost, roughly 2.2 pounds, equals about 1 liter of fluid deficit, so a quick pre- and post-session weigh-in is one of the simplest ways to know how much fluid to replace.
- Stay hydrated with water and electrolytes.
- Communicate with your athletic trainer or coach.
- Wear light-colored clothing to practice.
Treating Heat Exhaustion
If you or someone you’re with is showing symptoms, move to a cool or shaded area, rehydrate with cool water or a sports drink, elevate the legs, and use cooling methods like cold towels, ice packs, or a cold water immersion if one’s available. If a full immersion isn’t practical, focus cold towels or ice packs on the neck, armpits, and groin, where blood vessels sit close to the skin.
Know when it’s more than heat exhaustion. If the person stops sweating, becomes confused, loses consciousness, or their symptoms don’t improve after 30 minutes of cooling and rest, that’s a sign of heat stroke. Call 911 immediately rather than continuing to treat it at home.
Preventing Heat Exhaustion
Hydrate before, during, and after. Water alone isn’t enough, you lose salt and electrolytes through sweat, so pair it with an electrolyte drink or supplement, especially during the hottest months.
Spooner has partnered with Ballast to help, use code SPOONER20 for 20% off at Ballast.
Dress for the heat. Light-colored, loose clothing reflects heat instead of absorbing it.
Know your risk factors. These raise your chances of heat illness:
- A higher BMI
- A history of heat illness
- Sickle cell trait
- Being sick with something else
- Being on certain medications
If any apply to you or someone in your care, let a workout partner, doctor, coach, or supervisor know.
Heat Exhaustion Can Lead to Injury
Heat exhaustion itself resolves with rest, fluids, and cooling down. But dizziness caused by heat exhaustion can lead to a fall, or cramping turned into a strained or pulled muscle. That’s an injury worth having looked at, not something to just shake off. If you or someone you know is dealing with an injury as a result of heat exhaustion, see a Spooner physical therapist to help you move and feel better today!
Train With a Professional Inside This Summer
Train safely this summer, in air conditioning, with a professional trained to help you get stronger, faster, and more explosive without risking heat exhaustion. Ready to get started? Work with Ernie at the Spooner Sports Institute.