How To Recover From Heat Exhaustion

Many athletes and exercise enthusiasts forget how critical it is to be aware of how extreme heat during exercise can affect your body. Symptoms of heat illness and injury and recovery from heat exhaustion are important topics that every athlete should be aware of.

Prolonged exposure to high temperatures, particularly when it is humid outside, increases your risk of heat-related illnesses such as heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

Recognizing Signs Of Heat Illness

Pay close attention to your body and how you feel when living exercising or doing other outdoor activities. Seek medical attention if you experience one or more of the following symptoms, which may be signs of heat illness.

• Continued, or onset of, headache, dizziness or disorientation
• Continued, or onset of, vomiting or nausea
• Loss of consciousness
• Continuous rapid heartbeat, after 10 to 15 minutes of stopping exercise
• Labored or gasping breathing
• Convulsion or seizure
• Continued increase in body temperature

Learn more about symptoms of heat illnesses and first aid for if you experience signs of heat exhaustion or heat stroke.

Recovering From Heat Illness

The following tips should be used for athletes recovering from a heat exhaustion, heat stroke or illness and/or heat injury.

Replace Fluids

To restore proper level of hydration, 20 oz. of fluid should be consumed for every pound (16 oz.) of fluid lost during activity. Appropriate fluids include water and sports drinks designed to restore electrolyte balance within the body.

Avoid carbonated, alcoholic and caffeinated beverages because they can lead to further dehydration.

Continue replacing fluids until urine is light in color.

Rest

Rest in air conditioning or another cool environment. Place cool wet towels on forehead and neck. Stay out of the sun.

Diet

Eat well-balanced meals to replenish nutrients within the body. Meals should ideally include more carbohydrate sources than fat and protein.

Preventing A Second Episode Of Heat Illness

Athletes experiencing an episode of heat exhaustion or other heat illness are at higher risk of a second episode. It is important to be careful not just while recovering from heat illness but also for the remaining season and future periods of high heat and humidity.

To prevent further heat illness, make sure to drink fluids before and during activity. Drinking chicken noodle soup before activity can help increase the sodium level that is decreased through sweating.

Your clothing choices can impact your chances of a second episode of heat illness. Also wear lightweight loose fitting clothing. If you participate in an outdoor sport or other activities outside, wear light-colored clothing that reflects the sun.

Take frequent breaks to rest, rehydrate and allow your body temperature to return to normal levels.

Returning To Play After Heat Illness

Recovery from heat illness depends on how severe the heat illness was.

It is recommended that athletes with exercise-associated muscle (heat) cramps, heat syncope or heat exhaustion wait to return to play until after 24 hours of rest.

Athletes with exertional heat stroke may initiate return after the patient has completed the following:

• 7 to 21-day rest period
• Demonstrated normal blood-work results
• Obtained physician clearance

The athlete may begin a progression of physical activity, supervised by the athletic trainer or other medical professional with knowledge of exertional heat stroke treatment and care, from low intensity to high intensity and increasing duration in a temperate environment.