Anchor intro:
The heat dangers are also taking a toll on our local athletes where the kern high school district has stopped all practices both outside and inside. 23ABC’s Adam Bowles is at West High School finding out the impact the heat can have on your body.
The heat is definitely on! At West High School, there is not a soul in sight on the practice fields because of one reason.
According to the Kern High School District, when the high temperature is expected to be 108°, all sports activities stop!
"Well as a district we made the decision to shut down all athletics indoor, outdoor. That applies to our P.E. classes, but generally speaking after 9 am, all activities in the district have been shut down," Stan Greene says.
We could see temperatures reach above the century mark for the rest of the week. This only increases the risk of heat related illnesses.
"So if you were a student athlete and we had you out here, which we wouldn’t do, but if we did have you out here, you would be hot, you would be sweating, you would be exhibiting signs of heat stroke, red skin, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, fatigue, disorientation, vomiting, and seizures if you had a body temperature of 104 or higher,and quite frankly its just not worth risking the safety for our kids," Greene says.
"Athletes are a whole other level right," Dr. James Seay says. "They are going to be sweating more than most so if you are outside and you’re an athlete and dealing with this kindof stuff, you have got to continue to hydrate. And you got to monitor your self. If you start to feel a little off, your going to have to sit on the side for a little bit, get in the shade, get cooled off, get inside, get a cool rag on your self. You have to be proactive and not let the heat progress to something bad."
The most important thing to remember when you are exercising outside is hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. One way to figure out if you are drinking enough water, check your urine to see if its clear.
