Athletes have a lot to keep in mind when practicing in high temperatures. Assistant Professor of Sports Medicine at Mercyhurst University, Bradley Jacobson, said it’s important that athletes slowly adjust to playing in hot weather. 

“They need to start off very gradual, very mild, and then on a day-to-day basis, just a little bit more intensity, a little bit longer duration, . . . men and women are going to be playing soccer games and football games at 1:00 p.m., 2:00 p.m., 3:00 p.m. in the heat of the day. They have to have their body already prepared for that,” Jacobson said.

Drinking enough water is at the top of the list for those exercising in hot conditions. 

“You have to pre-hydrate yourself before practice. I would start pre-hydrating at a minimum, an hour beforehand with water. Just good, cold water. Then during your session, whatever you’re doing, whether it’s practice or training, you should actually have water breaks every 15 minutes,” Jacobson said. 

For coaches, it's important to know that certain people are more likely to suffer heat related illness than others.

"African-Americans have a higher incidence of this. Males compared to females have a higher number of incidents. If you're on beta blockers, or if you're diabetic, they also have a higher incidence of some form of heat illness. So you have to know your athletes,” Jacobson said.