Tuesday, November 5, 2024

During summer sport practice, focus is on health

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A Franklin High School student died Wednesday from a medical emergency during an early-morning football practice at his school in Reisterstown, Maryland, CBS News Baltimore and WBAL-TV (NBC affiliate) report.

Paramedics were called to the school at 9:18 AM after Leslie Noble, 16, collapsed during practice. Resuscitative efforts were in progress when they arrived, and Leslie was taken to a nearby hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

The nature of the medical emergency is yet to be determined, but The Baltimore Sun reported that an autopsy would take place to try to determine if the varsity guard’s death was related to heat.

(TigerNet.com via Flickr Creative Commons)

Football practice in hot weather poses several health risks even to student-athletes who are completely healthy, including

  • heat exhaustion
  • heat stroke
  • dehydration

Heat exhaustion happens when the body gets too hot and can’t cool down. Symptoms include heavy sweating, weakness, and dizziness. The temperature during practice was in the 70s, but an increase in hot weather nationwide raises concerns that schools relying on outdated practices may unintentionally put students at risk.

Heat stroke is a much more serious condition in which the body’s temperature rises dangerously. If not treated quickly, it can cause confusion, fainting, and even death.

Dehydration is also a serious condition that can lead to several adverse health effects. Being low on fluids can make it hard for the body to cool down. Early signs of dehydration may include muscle cramps, tiredness, and headaches.

These effects from heat can arise during workouts for any sport, but football gets special attention because students often practice in heavy gear such as helmets and pads. It was reported that Leslie wasn’t in pads when he collapsed, but pads and helmets can trap heat. When excess heat can’t escape, it’s harder for the body to cool down, and the hotter it gets, the more dangerous heavy exertion and the stress it puts on the body can be.

Thousands of student-athletes across the US are affected every year. Most experience minor symptoms such as cramps, but some suffer from more serious conditions like heat stroke.

Doctors and trainers recommend taking frequent breaks in the shade to help the body cool down and practicing during the early morning hours when it’s cooler. They also recommend, as is the case in just about every high school in Baltimore County, having an athletic trainer on-site to monitor student-athletes’ condition during practice and take quick action when they spot signs of heat-related problems.

Warning Signs of Dehydration in Student-Athletes

An initial warning sign of dehydration people often notice is a sense that they’re thirsty. Unfortunately, thirst usually lags behind the body’s actual fluid needs, and paying attention to thirst during heavy physical activity can be challenging. And although chronic over-hydration can cause problems as well, paying attention to thirst can help to avoid it during exercise. And most healthy student-athletes won’t over-hydrate.

Going along with thirst, dehydration usually leads to a dry, sticky feeling in the mouth and throat, along with a decrease in the amount of sweat being produced, leading to dry skin. Sweating is one of the most important mechanisms of cooling down and reducing sweating during dehydration can lead to a vicious cycle of overheating. The body can’t sweat effectively, leading to an increased core temperature, which can escalate from heat exhaustion to heat stroke.

Feelings of confusion or disorientation also accompany many dehydration episodes. As dehydration progresses, it can reduce blood volume, lower blood pressure, and cause dizziness or lightheadedness. Severe dehydration can affect mental clarity and cognitive function and lead to feelings of fatigue, tiredness, and lethargy. Because dehydration affects the brain, it can lead to impaired cognitive function, slower reaction times, and poor decision-making, increasing the risk of injury during practice or games.

Physical symptoms of dehydration include muscle cramps due to electrolyte imbalances, such as sodium, potassium, and calcium, which are crucial for muscle contraction and nerve function. An imbalance can lead to muscle cramps, spasms, and weakness. In severe cases, it can also cause arrhythmias or irregular heartbeats.

Another sign of dehydration is a rapid heartbeat because the heart has to work harder to pump a smaller volume of blood throughout the body. The blood also becomes thicker and harder to pump, leading to cardiovascular strain, reduced endurance, and increased risk of fainting or even cardiovascular collapse in extreme cases.

Dark urine is also a sign of dehydration. Although noting the color of urine is not possible on a football practice field, it can happen during dehydration as the kidneys do what they can to conserve water. Prolonged dehydration can even cause acute kidney injury, as the kidneys struggle to filter waste products from the blood without sufficient water. This can lead to the accumulation of toxins in the body, further impairing performance and recovery.

Dehydration not only hampers athletic performance but also puts student-athletes at serious risk of severe health complications, particularly in the heat-intensive environment of summer football practices. Ensuring adequate hydration is critical to prevent these risks.

Paul Katulahttps://news.schoolsdo.org
Paul Katula is the executive editor of the Voxitatis Research Foundation, which publishes this blog. For more information, see the About page.

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