The Official Athletics Website of the Nassau Community College Lions

Days 1-2: Helmets only. Up to 3hrs on field
Days 3-4: Helmets and Shoulder pads. Up to 3hrs on field
Day 5: Full equipment. Up to 3hrs on field
Days 6+: Full equipment. Up to 5hrs on field. No more than 3hrs per session
 

Characteristic	Heat Cramps	Heat Syncope	Heat Exhaustion	Heat Stroke
Description	Acute, painful, involuntary muscle contractions presenting during or after exercise	Collapsing in the heat, resulting in loss of consciousness	Inability to continue exercise due to cardiovascular insufficiency	Severe hyperthermia leading to overwhelming of the thermoregulatory system
Physiologic Cause	Dehydration, electrolyte imbalances, and/or neuromuscular fatigue	Standing erect in a hot environment, causing postural pooling of blood in the legs	High skin blood flow, heavy sweating, and/or dehydration, causing reduced venous return	High metabolic heat production and/or reduced heat dissipation
Primary Treatment Factors	Stop exercising, provide sodium-containing beverages	Lay patient supine and elevate legs to restore central blood volume	Cease exercise, remove from hot environment, elevate legs, provide fluids	Immediate whole-body cold-water immersion to quickly reduce core body temperature
Recovery	Often occurs within minutes to hours	Often occurs within hours	Often occurs within 24 h; same-day return to play not advised	Highly dependent on initial care and treatment; further medical testing and physician clearance required before return to activity

 

WBGT Reading	Activity Guidelines and Rest-Break Guidelines
Under 82.08F (27.88C)	Normal activities: provide 3 separate rest breaks/h of minimum duration 3 min each during workout.
82.0–86.98F (27.88C–30.58C)	Use discretion for intense or prolonged exercise. Watch at-risk players carefully. Provide 3 separate rest breaks/h of minimum duration 4 min each.
87.08F–89.98F (30.58C–32.28C)	Maximum practice time 1/4 2 h. For football: players restricted to helmet, shoulder pads, and shorts during practice. All protective equipment must be removed for conditioning activities. For all sports: provide 4 separate rest breaks/h of minimum duration 4 min each.
90.0–92.08F (32.28C–33.38C)	Maximum length of practice 1/4 1 h. No protective equipment may be worn during practice and there may be no conditioning activities. There must be 20 min of rest breaks provided during the hour of practice.
Over 92.18F (33.48C)	No outdoor workouts, cancel exercise, delay practices until a cooler WBGT reading occurs.

Guidelines for hydration and rest breaks

1. Rest time should involve both unlimited hydration intake (water or electrolyte drinks) and rest without any activity involved.
2. For football, helmets should be removed during rest time.
3. The site of the rest time should be a ‘‘cooling zone’’ and not in direct sunlight.
4. When the WBGT reading is greater than 868F (308C):

a. Ice towels and spray bottles filled with ice water should be available at the ‘‘cooling zone’’ to aid the cooling process.
b. Cold-immersion tubs must be available for practices for the benefit of any player showing early signs of heat illness.
All information provided is accessible on the NATA website.