Prevent Athletic Heat Exhaustion
J.p. Murrietta, Nmaa
Wednesday, August 9, 2023
Body
To help minimize the risk of heat illness and/or stroke to student-athletes, the New Mexico Activities Association suggests the following: • Not restricting intake of fluids, • Frequent water breaks, • Practicing in cooler parts of the day, • Removing protective equipment, • Preparations in place for suspected heat illness/stroke – cold tub, tarp, etc Here are other resources to help avoid heat illness: • NMAA Heat Illness Policy – https://www.nmact.org/fil e/Heat_Illness_Prevention_ Protocol.pdf • Tarp Assisted Cooling with Oscillation (Cold Tub Alternative) – https://www.youtube.com /watch?v=vonrI4IQOFM Especially in football, it is crucial that heat acclimatizing guidelines are strictly followed with extra vigilance during the first 3-4 days of any transition or acclimatization period..