When to use this
Thursday, when the forecast is known and forty families still have time to pack differently.
- A September invitational is forecast hot and the venue has no shade.
- A November regional starts at 28 degrees and the bus arrives two hours early.
- The same bag has been going to every meet since August.
Advanced lab
Why cold weather dehydrates an athlete who never felt thirsty
The hot-day plan is intuitive. The cold-day one is not, and the mechanism is what makes it stick.
Heat illness and hypothermia are medical events and go to the athletic trainer immediately, with emergency services if there is any doubt. Neither is solved from a cooler.
Evidence sources
These references support the handout’s general education. Individual medical, supplement, laboratory, or injury questions should be handled by the appropriate qualified clinician.
- Racinais S, Alonso JM, Coutts AJ, et al. Consensus recommendations on training and competing in the heat. Br J Sports Med. 2015;49(18):1164-1173.
- McDermott BP, Anderson SA, Armstrong LE, et al. NATA Position Statement: Fluid Replacement for the Physically Active. J Athl Train. 2017;52(9):877-895.
- Castellani JW, Young AJ. Human physiological responses to cold exposure. Auton Neurosci. 2016;196:63-74.
Where to go next
ToolRun the hot-day checklistFluid schedule, shade plan and cooler build for a meet in full sun.
ToolPut fluid on a scheduleFixed points across the day instead of thirst, guesswork or a colour chart.
PrintableThe exposure is the long waitSix hours standing is where a hot or cold day does its damage, not the race.
