tween daughter who is a v. good athlete struggles in heat. advice?

[Anonymous]

During college lacrosse practice, I suddenly found myself having lost a few seconds during warm up. We'd be in a stretch and then suddenly all my teammates were up and halfway across the field. I didn't quite know why. Turns out, I was overheating and blacking out. Post-college, it became worse, I would black-out or heat up with a very high fever and have a migraine. It was diagnosed as "an-hydrosis." Basically, I stopped sweating like a normal person. Fast forward thirty years and I still have this issue. I just heat up rather than sweat. When I lived in California, I took up ocean swimming, which was great. Even on race days, though, I would overheat. I can only exercise for about twenty minutes at a time now and the DC summers are horrible for me.

I regulate it but no doctor seems to know what to do. I happened to live near UCSF at one point and did a bunch of research on my own and saw a couple neurologists there. They said I could go to the Mayo Clinic for more tests, but that even if I did, they don't really have a cure. Granted, this was 25 years ago. I still mention my condition to doctors but have yet to have found a "cure." I hope this is not the case for your daughter.

BTW, I drink all the time (and pee a lot) but I need to stay extra hydrated. Good luck!

[Anonymous]

Move somewhere cooler. Seriously.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It is most likely dehydration. Try using salt tablets.

This hasn't been done for 30 years. Make sure she hydrates enough ( with plain water) so that she is going to the bathroom at least 5x per day. It is also worth having a blood test. Iron deficiency is commonly missed and definitely causes fatigue.

Use of salt tabs is very common amongst competitive marathoners, triathletes and ultra marathoners. It is worth a try.

[Anonymous]

I have always struggled in the heat as a kid and even more so as an adult. My son is the same. To start with it takes time to acclimate to the hotter temperatures. This past weekend we went from cool and rainy to excessive heat. Hydration is important but so isn't getting ready for heat. For me personally that means spending more time outside in the heat, walking and exercising - water all week long before a long run or race. I actually take my kid outside for 10-15 minutes a few hours before the game and have him warm up, run a mile, let him cool down, drink more liquids and then sit in the shade. At the game he has shade, and the spray bottle of water and wet towel for his neck. I have also discovered if he goes into the hotter weather in good shape he's better capable of managing thru a game then if he's getting into shape in the heat.

[Anonymous]

Is your DD on any medications? Some medications interfere with the body's cooling mechanism.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:dehydration is the problem.

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Great replies here. I'd second the following:

check thyroid just to be sure

discuss if it's her breathing with her, if so consider trying an inhaler

cool towel, cooler with cold drinks, especially Gatorade type drinks

shade

loose clothes - personally all that wicking stuff actually makes me hotter so have her try loose cotton too.

Hat when not competing if in sun with no tent

And I'd add some Gatorade to the pre-hydrate stage. Our DK has all sorts of heat intolerance due to a medical condition and potassium, magnesium and salt can all cause heat intolerance if they are depleted (esp from sweating). There are "healthier" versions/do it yourself recipes but DK prefers Gatorade (not the low cal one though-need the sugar too on performance days).

NO GATORADE!

[Anonymous]

Why? Aside from awful food dye?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:my daughter is a very above average athlete (not a super star, but plays in competitive leagues) and has been physically active since she was a toddler. as she has gotten older, she had an increasingly hard time playing in the heat. her energy is just sapped, like a balloon. i will mention this to her doctor, but any ideas as to what is going on? it is starting to hurt her soccer game. (basketball is no problem). her performance is like night and day and easy to see the difference early in the season, when we have these very different weather days.

she is on the petite side and is not a big eater. so her athletic advantages are more speed and skill than size.

should i ask that she be tested for anemia or something along those lines?

Is it possible she is eating too little? That would sap your energy, especially in the heat.

[Anonymous]

Someone above mentioned a cooling towel. My son has used that for games in the heat and it's definitely cooled him off (doesn't have the same issue as your daughter, though).

The one he has is a "Way 2 Cool microfiber cooling towel", but there are lots of different brands. He soaks it in water before leaving for a game and puts it in a ziploc, and it stays moist and cool.

[Anonymous]

Check her heart.

[Anonymous]

I was like this and still am. Basically I sweat a lot and cannot stay hydrated. What helped me was Gatorade during the game. I know a lot of people will say that normal,people do not need it, but it made a big difference for me. I still played better in the cold, but I felt better in the heat.

Also make sure she drinks tons of water throughout the day.