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

[Anonymous]

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?

[Anonymous]

dehydration is the problem.

[Anonymous]

Exercise induced asthma I have it and humidity is the worst! I was a college soccer player

[Anonymous]

Try skating. I would recommend hockey except for size

[Anonymous]

Poor kid. Why do you push her if you know she is suffering??

[Anonymous]

I am the same way as an adult and always have been--I was a D1 athlete. Make sure she is hydrated ALL the time--not just game day. Around the clock! Do what you can to make shade for her. If she plays a sport with tournaments or multiple games, keep her in the shade or under a tent between games. Make sure she wears cooling, wicking fabrics. Get her one of those sport towels that stays cool and wet. Get her a small cooler she can take with her and keep ice packs, the towel, and drinks in it.

I got heat exhaustion during a Spartan race this past summer and doing the next one in a looser, cooler top and taking the cold towel with me helped TREMENDOUSLY. good luck!!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Exercise induced asthma I have it and humidity is the worst! I was a college soccer player

Exacerbated by artificial turf. Get her an inhaler.

[Anonymous]

This is me. I cannot handle heat. Within minutes, I am red-faced, and my entire head feels like it's throbbing. Next comes a horrible headache.

I have hyperthyroidism and my doctor says that causes it, but I had this issue long before I ever had thyroid issues.

[Anonymous]

I would check her thyroids asap.

Until you have a comprehensive doctor's exam, please stop any intensive exercise in the heat. You can cause a serious future damages to her health.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is me. I cannot handle heat. Within minutes, I am red-faced, and my entire head feels like it's throbbing. Next comes a horrible headache.

I have hyperthyroidism and my doctor says that causes it, but I had this issue long before I ever had thyroid issues.

I could have written this to a T. Wearing a big floppy hat helps me as done drinking an insane amount of water, but still just very heat sensitive.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Exercise induced asthma I have it and humidity is the worst! I was a college soccer player

Exacerbated by artificial turf. Get her an inhaler.

And a surgical mask while you are at it. Gotta love the high cancer risk of these "awesome" turf fields.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Exercise induced asthma I have it and humidity is the worst! I was a college soccer player

Exacerbated by artificial turf. Get her an inhaler.

And a surgical mask while you are at it. Gotta love the high cancer risk of these "awesome" turf fields.

A 2010 report by the California Department of Resources Recycling and Recovery said that toxins, including lead and other heavy metals, are “below the level of detection. … No public health concern was identified.”

Other studies from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission, the New York Department of Health and UC Berkeley have found toxicity levels on crumb-rubber fields either negligible or so low they don’t present any health concern.

[Anonymous]

I think we're getting a little off track here. A lot of people just aren't good in the heat and have no thyroid problems and aren't working out on turf. Just do the things that keep yourself cool and shaded.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I think we're getting a little off track here. A lot of people just aren't good in the heat and have no thyroid problems and aren't working out on turf. Just do the things that keep yourself cool and shaded.

Yes. And some people can hydrate like the dickens but can't cool down, like me. I am also petite. My plan this year is to try to get more bits of heat/ exercise exposure on warm days and try to acclimate my body slowly and steadily.

[Anonymous]

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).