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Coach's Note

Coach Kyburz Notes

Hydrate!

Heat puts more stress on an athlete's body than any other environmental factor. Any time that you exercise, your temperature can go up. Sweat normally cools your body. However, in high heat and humidity, sweat does not quickly evaporate from your skin, so you don't cool down as fast as you would in other conditions. At these times, your body temperature can rise to dangerously high levels.

·To prevent heat illness, plan ahead.
·Before you compete in hot, humid conditions, you need to train (practice) in a hot humid environment. You must acclimate your body to extreme temperatures!
·You need more fluids when you exercise in the heat. In hot conditions, your body may lose as much as 3 liters of fluid per hour (because of extra weight from pads up to 10 liters lost per day).
·Use sport drinks containing 6-8% of carbohydrate (14-19 grams per 8 ounces) before, during, and after exercise. Especially practice, exercise, or competition lasting longer than 1 hour. You sometimes need more than water to replace fluids, carbohydrates, and electrolytes.

·Heat illness is most common on the first day or two of preseason practice.
General Hydration Guidelines:
·Drink at least 2 cups (16 ounces) of sport drink 2 hours before practice or a game.
·Drink fluids at every break (about 8 ounces every 10-15 minutes).
·Weigh yourself before and after practice once to figure out how much fluid you lose to sweat. After you practice, drink about 3 cups of fluid for every pound lost during practice.
·Water poured over your head does not prevent dehydration.
Dehydration can diminish energy and impair performance. Just a 2% loss of body weight through sweat (i.e., 3 pounds for a 150 pound athlete) can put athletes at a disadvantage.