 |  Essentials of Athletic Training, 5/e Daniel Arnheim
William Prentice,
University of North Carolina
Environmental Factors
Chapter Overview- Environmental stress can adversely affect an athlete's performance and pose a serious health problem.
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Regardless of the athletes' level of physical conditioning, coaches must take extreme caution when conducting exercises in hot, humid weather. Prolonged exposure to extreme heat can result in heat cramps, heat exhaustion, or heatstroke.
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Heat illness is preventable. Exercising common sense and caution will keep heat illnesses from occurring. Coaches can prevent heat illness by encouraging adequate fluid replacement, acclimatizing athletes gradually, identifying susceptible individuals, keeping weight records, and selecting appropriate uniforms.
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Hypothermia is most likely to occur in a cool, damp, windy environment. Extreme cold exposure can cause conditions such as frostnip and frostbite.
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Athletes, coaches, and athletic trainers should be protected from overexposure to ultraviolet radiation (UVR) by the routine application of sunscreens.
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Thirty minutes should be allowed to pass after the last sound of thunder is heard or last lightning strike is seen before play is resumed.
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2002 McGraw-Hill Higher Education