Article reposted from KSPR33
Author: KSPR33
This near triple digit heat might feel unbearable for everyone, but if you’re an athlete exercising in it, it can be downright dangerous.
In a matter of minutes, a football player collapses practicing in the scorching heat. That’s when this team comes into play.
“We have to remove the equipment including the jersey, including the helmet shoulder pads,” said trainer Melanie Noskowiak.
In what feels like more than 100 degrees out, trainers don’t have much time.
“That’s our hardest part to do especially out here,” Noskowiak.
They have less than 30 minutes get the player out of the heat.
“If it surpasses that 30 minute window then a whole cascade of organ failure takes place,” said Jim Raynor of Mercy Sports Medicine.
That’s the scenario trainers have to be ready for as players gear up for the season. It’s why the team at Mercy Sports Medicine is practicing exactly what to do when athletes overheat.
“If the core body temperature is over 104 degrees we will we will cascade our care management into rapid cooling which is emerging in ice water,” said Raynor.
But medical experts say there’s an easier way, one that could tell you if you’re at risk.
“with the heat, intensity of exercise, how well they hydrated, how well they ate, how much sleep they’ve gotten.”
He says it all plays a role in whether a player will end up like this, but trainers say..
“We’re taking care of the kid who is down,” said Noskowiak.
The practice for fall athletic seasons start on August 1.