Surviving hot weather while running
My tips on how to survive hot weather when you have to be athleticly active. This is stuff I've learned the hard way over several years of doing it. Take it for what you will.
1: Water
Three days before you have to be out there running around in it, start drinking lots of water. This will get your body used to carrying around a lot more water than it normally does, so you have a much wider buffer between when you start sweating and when the heat prostration starts kicking in.
Also note that Gatorade (or equivalent) is not a water substitute. It is a water supliment. I've seen several people screw themselves up by consuming nothing but Gatorade (or equivalents). Me? I like a 2:1 or even 3:1 water to Gatorade (or equivalent) ratio. Also, Gatorade (or equivalent) has a metabolic impact, so drinking a lot of it at half-time and running immediately can do really bad things to you that just drinking lots of water won't. Those sports drinks have glucose in them, and your body has to spend water to break it into energy and that takes time.
2: Climate
This is somewhat counter intuitive, but avoid air-conditioned environments at least an hour before you have to be active. Preferably two. This'll get your body used to the temperature. Going from an AC building right out to your field and running right away is a great way to cause trouble. You need time to acclimate.
3: Know your body
This takes experience to understand, but the school of hard knocks is the only way to really learn this one. If you've been there enough, and I have, you know what heat prostration feels like from the inside. Perhaps even heat exhaustion. Know your warning signs. For me it starts as a feeling that my muscles aren't performing at 100%. The next step is a feeling of muzzy-head. The third step is a loss of coordination; I start tripping on things, and find it hard to make sudden changes in direction. And finally, I stop sweating. Been there. Don't need to go there again. But I know the sign-posts now. Get to know yours.
4: Food
Avoid running on a full, or even somewhat full, stomach. Digestion takes water, and when your body starts sweating heavily it can cause real problems. This is where side-pains come from, among other reasons. Light snacks are the way to go. And avoid full-out running for three hours after eating a full meal. Not the one hour your mamma told you to wait before swimming. Three. On the other hand, small snacks are handled quickly by the body and the wait is much reduced for those.
Getting out of trouble
This is hard. First it takes experience to recognize you are in trouble (see number 3 above) in the first place. Once you've gotten to the point where you are showing the signs of heat prostration or exhaustion, especially in the middle of a game, it can be very hard to deal with it. If you can, flag for a substitute and then get under shade and cool down with some water. If your game allows it, it may be better for you to take yourself off the field (without a sub) and deal with the problem. Perhaps your game allows you to signal to the officials that you need out for a bit. Whichever. The best way is to get off the playing field and deal with it.
But what if you can't deal with it? Perhaps your team has no subs. Perhaps your sport doesn't permit taking players off or playing short. Perhaps you're an official. What do you do then?
If at all possible, stop being so active and get some water. Slow down. Your team may take a thrashing, but it'll keep you out of the hospital. It may not fix the problem, but it'll go a fair piece towards keeping you out of critical issues. This is a hard decision to make, but keep it in mind. Pressure to stay at top exertion is very high and can be hard to ignore. But doing just that will keep you from being damaged further.
If you are an official with a defined position, such as a Soccer assistant referee that has to stay even with the second to last defender, about the only thing you can do is talk to the spectators or team on that side. Tell them you need water, and they'll almost always give it. You need to be at a high level of performance, and spectators and coaches know this and support this.
1: Water
Three days before you have to be out there running around in it, start drinking lots of water. This will get your body used to carrying around a lot more water than it normally does, so you have a much wider buffer between when you start sweating and when the heat prostration starts kicking in.
Also note that Gatorade (or equivalent) is not a water substitute. It is a water supliment. I've seen several people screw themselves up by consuming nothing but Gatorade (or equivalents). Me? I like a 2:1 or even 3:1 water to Gatorade (or equivalent) ratio. Also, Gatorade (or equivalent) has a metabolic impact, so drinking a lot of it at half-time and running immediately can do really bad things to you that just drinking lots of water won't. Those sports drinks have glucose in them, and your body has to spend water to break it into energy and that takes time.
2: Climate
This is somewhat counter intuitive, but avoid air-conditioned environments at least an hour before you have to be active. Preferably two. This'll get your body used to the temperature. Going from an AC building right out to your field and running right away is a great way to cause trouble. You need time to acclimate.
3: Know your body
This takes experience to understand, but the school of hard knocks is the only way to really learn this one. If you've been there enough, and I have, you know what heat prostration feels like from the inside. Perhaps even heat exhaustion. Know your warning signs. For me it starts as a feeling that my muscles aren't performing at 100%. The next step is a feeling of muzzy-head. The third step is a loss of coordination; I start tripping on things, and find it hard to make sudden changes in direction. And finally, I stop sweating. Been there. Don't need to go there again. But I know the sign-posts now. Get to know yours.
4: Food
Avoid running on a full, or even somewhat full, stomach. Digestion takes water, and when your body starts sweating heavily it can cause real problems. This is where side-pains come from, among other reasons. Light snacks are the way to go. And avoid full-out running for three hours after eating a full meal. Not the one hour your mamma told you to wait before swimming. Three. On the other hand, small snacks are handled quickly by the body and the wait is much reduced for those.
Getting out of trouble
This is hard. First it takes experience to recognize you are in trouble (see number 3 above) in the first place. Once you've gotten to the point where you are showing the signs of heat prostration or exhaustion, especially in the middle of a game, it can be very hard to deal with it. If you can, flag for a substitute and then get under shade and cool down with some water. If your game allows it, it may be better for you to take yourself off the field (without a sub) and deal with the problem. Perhaps your game allows you to signal to the officials that you need out for a bit. Whichever. The best way is to get off the playing field and deal with it.
But what if you can't deal with it? Perhaps your team has no subs. Perhaps your sport doesn't permit taking players off or playing short. Perhaps you're an official. What do you do then?
If at all possible, stop being so active and get some water. Slow down. Your team may take a thrashing, but it'll keep you out of the hospital. It may not fix the problem, but it'll go a fair piece towards keeping you out of critical issues. This is a hard decision to make, but keep it in mind. Pressure to stay at top exertion is very high and can be hard to ignore. But doing just that will keep you from being damaged further.
If you are an official with a defined position, such as a Soccer assistant referee that has to stay even with the second to last defender, about the only thing you can do is talk to the spectators or team on that side. Tell them you need water, and they'll almost always give it. You need to be at a high level of performance, and spectators and coaches know this and support this.