Heat Safety Pledge

Update: The Mission-KSI Heat Safety Pledge for high schools is well underway! We’ve had over 15 schools qualify, with several more applications in the works. Get your school on the list to get some great cooling products from Mission Athletecare!

Congratulations to Marshwood High School in Maine, which was the first school accepted. We have also accepted schools from Alabama, Arkansas, District of Columbia, Florida, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, North Carolina, Ohio, Tennessee, and Texas.

A little background on the Heat Safety Pledge: Mission Athletecare prides itself on creating the best athletic environment for performance and safety. As part of that goal, they wanted to find a way to reward schools for upholding appropriate policies for heat safety. Mission wants to donate $1 Million of product to schools nationwide who are striving to keep athletes safe.

And this is where KSI comes in. Mission masterminds, with the help of KSI of course, devised the Heat Safety Pledge, 6 pillars aimed at safety while exercising in the heat. We feel that these are the 6 key areas that help high schools athletes perform at their best and stay safer while exercising in the heat.

• Pillar 1: Thermometer– A wet bulb globe thermometer is on site at school and used to determine activity modifications based on environmental conditions. It is school policy to modify work to rest cycles based on environmental conditions.
• Pillar 2: Certification– All coaching staff is certified in first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external defibrillator. Additionally, education is provided related to preventing sudden death in sport.
• Pillar 3: Athletic Trainer– An athletic trainer is employed at your school and is on-site during practices and events.
• Pillar 4: Emergency Action Plan– A specific emergency action plan for each athletic facility has been developed where sports games and practices occur. This plan is reviewed with the healthcare team every year.
• Pillar 5: Heat Acclimatization Guidelines– School has adopted nationwide high school preseason heat acclimatization guidelines set forth by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association.
• Pillar 6: Water Stations/Body Cooling- Adequate water is available and placed at various stations around the athletic fields for all sports. At water stations, body cooling is standard practice. This can be as simple as encouraging players to remove equipment during rest breaks as using ice/cold towels.

Some of the pillars of the heat safety pledge require little funding, emergency action plans for example; and can be implemented right away! Appropriate heat acclimatization is regulated by some state athletic associations, so if your state meets the KSI heat acclimatization standards, you already satisfy one of the pillars. But even in states without good guidelines, appropriate heat acclimatization procedures cost no money and can prevent heat illness.

On the same note, we’re talking to YOU high school athletic trainers, your employment helps satisfy one pillar as well. What a way to get some much needed supplies for your school! Take a look at the Heat Safety Pledge today to see if your high school qualifies. If you’re unsure, use the KSI Prevention section for more information on common practice standards. Contact Mission for more information on how to apply.

Heat Acclimatization Research

Strenuous physical activity in hot, humid environments places individuals at great risk for heat-related illnesses and exertional heat stroke. Annually, many individuals, such as athletes, occupational workers, and soldiers suffer from these conditions. Heat acclimatization is, perhaps, the most effective way to mitigate these exertional heat illnesses, as well as improve performance in the heat.

What is heat acclimatization? 

The improved ability to exercise in a hot environment due to physiological adaptations that occur over a period (10-14 days) of repeated exposures to exercise-heat stress.

Physiological adaptations of heat acclimatization:

• Improved cardiovascular function
  • Increased plasma volume
  • Increased stroke volume
  • Decreased heart rate
• Improved ability to dissipate heat
  • Increased sweat rate
  • Earlier onset of sweat
  • Decreased concentration of NaCl in sweat
• Overall, these adaptations lead to a decreased core body temperature during exercise.

What we know #1:

• Many heat illnesses occur on the day after a long, novel heat stress. For example, day 2 of preseason football practice following a day 1 two-a-day practice.

What we do not know #1:

• What is the driving physiological mechanism?
• Does heat acclimatization help to prevent this occurrence?

What we know #2:

• Heat acclimatization adaptations are transient and will disappear in 1-3 weeks if heat exposure is not maintained.

What we do not know #2:

• Does an intermittent heat exposure intervention help to mitigate heat acclimation decay and thus maintain adaptations?

What we know #3:

• Body cooling during exercise in the heat helps to mitigate rise in core body temperature.

What we do not know #3:

• How does heat acclimatization effect cooling rate during and after exercise?

 

Recently, our research team has completed a large heat acclimatization study in order to answer these unknown questions. Our hope is to further the scientific knowledge and provide a more comprehensive understanding of heat acclimatization, with the ultimate goal of keeping all athletes safe.

Stay tuned and follow us on social media for news of when results are published!

Heat Safety Pledge

Mission Athletecare, a newly announced partner of the Korey Stringer Institute, has started a new effort to promote safety in high school athletics. They’ve created a pledge to provide $1,000,000 in cooling products to schools who create a safer playing environment for their athletes. Using current best practices recommendations, KSI has determined six pillars which prepare athletic programs for exercise in hot weather. You can find details on how to qualify here.

• Pillar 1: Thermometer- A wet bulb globe thermometer is on site at school and used to determine activity modifications based on environmental conditions. It is school policy to modify work to rest cycles based on environmental conditions.
• Pillar 2: Certification- All coaching staff is certified in first aid, cardiopulmonary resuscitation and the use of an automated external defibrillator. Additionally, education is provided related to preventing sudden death in sport.
• Pillar 3: Athletic Trainer- An athletic trainer is employed at your school and is on-site during practices and events.
• Pillar 4: Emergency Action Plan- A specific emergency action plan for each athletic facility has been developed where sports games and practices occur. This plan is reviewed with the healthcare team every year.
• Pillar 5: Heat Acclimatization Guidelines- School has adopted nationwide high school preseason heat acclimatization guidelines set forth by the National Athletic Trainers’ Association.
• Pillar 6: Water Stations/Body Cooling- Adequate water is available and placed at various stations around the athletic fields for all sports. At water stations, body cooling is standard practice. This can be as simple as encouraging players to remove equipment during rest breaks as using ice/cold towels.

Schools who qualify for the pledge will receive $1,000 in EnduraCool cooling products for your school to add to their arsenal of ways to stay cool. Mission wants to reward schools which place value on heat safety by putting in place the best policies to prevent and handle environmental heat stress. If you know of a school who may qualify, pass on the message, and have an administrator and athletic trainer contact Mission for further details.

Get Your Body Heat Acclimatized

As summer camps start to dwindle down, it’s about that time athletes begin to condition and get ready for pre-season. It’s time to bring out those cleats, clean the football pads, buy some new knee pads and soccer balls and most importantly washing those 15 water bottles for the season. Whether it be football, soccer, cross country or volleyball all athletes need to remember the importance of getting their body ready for the long conditioning sessions in the heat. Whether you are 14 and excited to get into high school or 38 preparing to train for your first ever marathon gradually entering into your exercise regimen during these dog days of summer, is vital to your health.

Heat acclimatization plays a large part in the body’s physical response to cope with heat exposure. Heat acclimatization refers to a series of changes in the body to heat stress over a period of 7 to 14 days. Performing an appropriately guided acclimatization program allows for reductions in heart rate, body temperature response, skin temperature response, perceived exertion and increases in sweat rate, sweat onset, heart function, and overall ability to perform in the heat.

The Korey Stringer Institute has set forth a list of suggested appropriate guidelines for heat acclimatization. This list of 7 suggested recommendations has been adopted by 13 states in the US. Aside from DC and West Virginia, the remaining states have some type of heat acclimatization guideline(s) yet are deficient when compared to the guidelines set forth by KSI. In the states that have passed the recommended KSI heat acclimatization guidelines, there have been zero deaths in high school athletics. Does your state have the appropriate guidelines in place? Are you comfortable playing sports in your state? If you are a parent, are you comfortable allowing your child to play high school sports without the appropriate guidelines? Now is the time to get involved with your state legislation and ensure safety for all athletes with the appropriate guidelines.

For more on the KSI suggested guidelines please visit our website! www.ksi.uconn.edu