Extreme heat sends 6 high school football players to hospital

The heat took its toll on several high school football players Tuesday.

Six players at Apopka High School were taken to a local hospital and treated for what officials called “heat emergency issues.”

All six players are now doing fine, but the severity of their cases was not immediately known.  The team is now waiting for clearance from the players' doctors.

The team was in the middle of football conditioning drills Tuesday, when some of the players started feeling the effects of the summer heat.

At the time, the heat index in Orange County was between 102 and 105 degrees -- and those conditions are likely to continue into the next few days.

Some parents blame the coaches for working the kids too hard, but the Orange County School District says they followed procedure.

Each school's athletic trainer met with the players to talk about what they do before practice.

Exercise physiologist Lindy Moore says it makes sense.

"When kids drink their sodas and what not, it actually increases their chances for dehydration," Moore said.

Some coaches are afraid players are not eating and drinking enough water before coming to practice.  They're also worried the students are drinking too much caffeine or even drinking energy drinks to get them through the day.

So now they're sitting down and learning the basics, such as eating breakfast or lunch before practice and drinking water throughout the day and not just during practice.

"If you're going to go for a walk for 5 minutes, add 10 minutes so you can get adjusted to the heat, pre-hydrate and hydrate," Moore said.

According to the National Athletic Trainers’ Association, all it takes is an hour of exercise to become dehydrated and at risk of heat stroke.

Athletes can reach that level even more rapidly if they begin a workout, practice or competition dehydrated.

Some warning signs of heat stroke include:

• Thirst
• Muscle cramps
• Difficulty paying attention
• Decreased performance

If left untreated, more extreme symptoms can occur.

Most cases of heat illness occur in the first two to three days of training, according to the Florida High School Athletic Association.

Experts’ best advice for athletes is acclimation -- that means slowly increasing practice intensity and duration over the first two weeks of training.

It’s also always important to have fluids nearby. Officials recommended sports drinks over water, because the carbohydrates promote muscle growth, and sodium encourages voluntary drinking, leading to hydration.