How to Stay Safe While Playing Sports in the Heat

The scorching sun can be a formidable opponent for athletes. This is why Sports Medicine Australia created an extreme heat policy in 2021. It was meant to shield people enjoying sports from heat-related problems. The policy used a simple model to figure out the risk of heat stress. It was an upgrade from the 2009 version, but it wasn't perfect. People pointed out that it sometimes underestimated the risk in very hot and dry conditions. Conversely, it overestimated the risk in humid conditions. This was because users had to manually check graphs for 40 different sports, grouped into five categories. They had to use temperature and humidity data from local weather services. This process was prone to mistakes. The policy had another flaw. It was a printed document. This made it inconvenient for users. To address these issues, an updated policy was proposed for 2024. This version uses a different model to create heat stress risk curves for the 40 most popular sports in Australia. The goal is to better protect athletes in very hot and dry conditions. It also aims to reduce disruptions in humid conditions by suggesting active cooling and rest breaks. The updated policy considers factors like the intensity of the sport, clothing, and even the wind speed created by the athlete's movement. This makes the risk estimates more accurate. The new policy also comes with a handy web tool. It's available on all devices and can be accessed for free. This tool provides hour-by-hour risk assessments for specific locations. It also offers a 7-day forecast and suggestions for reducing risk. The intended users are sports organizers, coaches, and medical teams. They are responsible for the safety of adults playing sports in hot weather. The tool can also help individuals manage heat stress during training. The web tool is a significant improvement. It makes the policy more accessible and user-friendly. It also provides more precise and timely information. This can help prevent heat-related illnesses and make sports safer for everyone.