Issues & Experts >
Issues & Experts Archive > Hot weather and athletes
Hot weather and athletes
Document Tools
July 28, 2009
Competing in the heat
Whether it’s kids playing little league baseball or athletes set to compete under a brazen sun – including those in town for the World Police and Fire Games starting this weekend - there are a few basic principles when it comes to exercise in the heat, says Jim Carter, an SFU kinesiologist (and fire fighter) who studies heat stress and physical activity. The key is to keep athletes as cool as possible before the event. “Some Olympic teams have tried pre-cooling athletes before their events using pools, ice vests or even drinking slurpees. It’s important that athletes are properly hydrated at the start of the event and match their sweat loss during the event with fluid replacement.”
Carter says sports drinks are designed to have an electrolyte concentration that will increase the absorption of fluids. “Your body will actually absorb the water in Gatorade faster than plain water. You also don't want to be drinking four litres of sports drink during a day. I usually recommend one litre of sports drink for every four litres of water.
“The key for event organizers is to cancel events when the temperature gets too hot. There are some very good records from marathons of how the number of cases of heat exhaustion increases with an increase in ambient temperature.”
Jim Carter, 778.782.4065; jcarter@sfu.ca
Whether it’s kids playing little league baseball or athletes set to compete under a brazen sun – including those in town for the World Police and Fire Games starting this weekend - there are a few basic principles when it comes to exercise in the heat, says Jim Carter, an SFU kinesiologist (and fire fighter) who studies heat stress and physical activity. The key is to keep athletes as cool as possible before the event. “Some Olympic teams have tried pre-cooling athletes before their events using pools, ice vests or even drinking slurpees. It’s important that athletes are properly hydrated at the start of the event and match their sweat loss during the event with fluid replacement.”
Carter says sports drinks are designed to have an electrolyte concentration that will increase the absorption of fluids. “Your body will actually absorb the water in Gatorade faster than plain water. You also don't want to be drinking four litres of sports drink during a day. I usually recommend one litre of sports drink for every four litres of water.
“The key for event organizers is to cancel events when the temperature gets too hot. There are some very good records from marathons of how the number of cases of heat exhaustion increases with an increase in ambient temperature.”
Jim Carter, 778.782.4065; jcarter@sfu.ca