Fourteen survey questions and related recommendations drawn from two consensus statements7 21 on recognising and preventing EHI in sport
| Risk domains | Survey question statements | Recommendations are drawn from the consensus statements* |
| Climate-related risks | Playing in very hot and sunny conditions | ‘Hot and humid environmental conditions can more readily predispose an individual to exertional heat strokes’21 |
| Playing in high humidity conditions | ‘When humidity is high, evaporative heat loss is severely diminished, which can lead to a rapid rise in core body temperature and an extreme risk for exertional heat strokes’21 | |
| Risks related to the individual (intrinsic risks) | Suffering from fever and other infections | ‘Individuals who are currently or were recently ill may be at increased risk for EHI because of fever, dehydration, or medications”21
‘Prior viral infection is emerging as a potentially important risk factor for heat injury/stroke’7 |
| Being overweight | ‘Increased body mass index: Obese people are at increased risk for EHI because they are less efficient in dissipating heat and produce more metabolic heat during exercise’21 | |
| Not having a good physical fitness level | ‘Poor physical condition: Untrained individuals are more susceptible to EHI than trained individuals’21 | |
| Not having enough sleep during the previous night | ‘The effects of heat are cumulative; athletes should be encouraged to sleep at least 7 hours per night in a cool environment’21 | |
| Having experienced heat illness in the past | ‘Athletes with a history of heat illness are often at greater risk for recurrent heat illness during strenuous physical activity’21 | |
| Risks related to clothing and equipment (extrinsic risks) | Wearing tight fitting clothes | ‘Barriers to evaporative heat loss: Athletic equipment and rubber or plastic suits used for weight loss do not allow water vapour to pass from the skin to the environment and, as a result, inhibit evaporative, convective, and radiant heat loss’21 |
| Wearing excess amounts of clothes | ‘Excessive clothing or equipment decreases the body’s ability to thermoregulate and may cause greater absorption of radiant heat from the environment’21 | |
| Wearing helmets and pads | ‘Participants who wear equipment that does not allow for heat dissipation are at an increased risk for heat illness. Wearing a helmet is also a risk factor because a significant amount of heat is dissipated through the head’21 | |
| Risk minimising strategies | Resting in a cool shaded place | ‘Rest breaks should be in the shade or in a predetermined cooling zone and should allow enough time for all athletes to consume fluids’21 |
| Cooling the body with cold towels or ice packs | ‘Cooling methods include external (eg, application of iced garments, towels, water immersion, or fanning) and internal methods (eg, ingestion of cold fluids or ice slurry)’7
‘The athlete should be moved to a cool or shaded area and body cooling should be accomplished via fans or ice towels if necessary’21 | |
| Playing without taking enough water | ‘Individuals should maintain euhydration and appropriately replace fluids lost through sweat during and after games and practices’21
‘Athletes should be cautious to undertake exercise in a euhydrated state and minimised body water deficits through proper rehydration during exercise’7 | |
| Getting used to environment conditions during training | ‘Individuals should be acclimatised to the heat gradually over 7 to 14 days’21
‘Athletes planning to compete in hot ambient conditions should heat-acclimatise’7 |
*Recommendations are direct quotations of the two consensus statements.
EHI, exertional heat illness.