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p7fl
06-07-09, 21:18
If this question doesn’t fit this area please feel free to move it.
I live and shoot in South Florida. Summer matches and training are extremely hot and humid. I would like to see if there are other suggestions for spending time in the sun that work for other people and I am overlooking.

Generally I try to start hydrating more than normal a day or two before. I will dress in an Under Armor shirt and underwear, light colored hat but am most comfortable in jeans. That morning I cut back to two cups of coffee, followed by Gatorade and then water and more water.
Breakfast is two bananas and maybe some bread as the morning progresses. I keep a wet towel on my neck. I also grab some Advil to mitigate a heat headache.

Very open to any and all other suggestions.
TIA
jon

edited for typo on under armor

Thomas M-4
06-07-09, 21:40
I live in AL and I have worked on the gulf coast for a couple of years [Hurricane repair My basic was in Fort Jackson SC] I was always trained and told if you are having headaches in the heat is because of dehydration. I am guessing that your normal job is in doors. The easiest way that I was taught to now if you are hydrated enough is if your urine is clear like water anything less is dehydration. It also helps to be out side as much as possible to be come acclimatized to the weather. For me I normally do not eat breakfast and for lunch I will have a light lunch with a 15min -20min break to let it settle.

My best friend suffered migraine headaches for years until he joined the moran corp HAHA I am going to get flamed for that.
Then he finally got properly hydrated then he never got a migraine again now if he feels one coming you can see him making a bee line to the closest drinking water to rehydrate. Never seen anybody drink to much water..

chavez_e_chavez
06-07-09, 21:51
i WORK OUTSIDE!!! where light colored clothing, hat and drink water, water, water and make sure you go Pee allot!!!!! Gatorade gave me kidney stones.....Water actually is way better for ya

Jerm
06-08-09, 01:00
I keep a wet towel on my neck.

While far from perfect i find these work much better...

http://www.uscav.com/ProductInfo.aspx?productid=10721&utm_medium=shoppingengine&utm_source=googlebase&cm_mmc=Google%20Base-_-Products-_-SF-_-V1

(I've never purchased from there.)

They need to be soaked every hour or so for best results(although they're helpfull for longer and beat a towel hands down).An occasional working/mixing(kneeding?) of the gel inside also helps keep them nice and cool.

You wont catch me doing anything out in the heat for extended periods without one(or several).

K.L. Davis
06-08-09, 12:00
Ditch the coffee, the diuretic effect out paces the limited benefits of being a liquid.

I prefer to set "sports drinks" to the side as well, lots of sugar...

What hydrates you is water, too little and you become dehydrated, too much and you risk hyponatremia -- Maintain a good diet, what you eat has a lot to do with your body's ability to absorb water. Drink plenty of water, but spread it out over the day, hydrate before you need the water.

Oral Hydration theories vary, the WHO and Unicef have a couple of ideas that involve Oral Rehydration Salts (ORS... which is something that everyone should keep on hand really), these are for rather extreme scenarios though. There are "homebrew" hydration recipes that seem to work well, some are quite simple... like no more than blending one of those 'naners with some fresh orange juice.

rob_s
06-08-09, 12:07
FWIW, I've started substituting tea for coffee on match/training days. I did this at Southern a couple of weeks ago and it seemed to help.

I can't do jeans in the heat, or long pants at all. I was the only one at Randy's class wearing shorts over the three days. I also happen to think that the visor, with it's open top, helps and if I have to wear a regular hat my head gets really hot. If I had to wear a full hat for sun protection I'd make sure it had a mesh top of some sort.

Zhurdan
06-08-09, 12:16
FWIW, I've started substituting tea for coffee on match/training days. I did this at Southern a couple of weeks ago and it seemed to help.

I can't do jeans in the heat, or long pants at all. I was the only one at Randy's class wearing shorts over the three days. I also happen to think that the visor, with it's open top, helps and if I have to wear a regular hat my head gets really hot. If I had to wear a full hat for sun protection I'd make sure it had a mesh top of some sort.
@ rob_s
Yeah, but you have hair!!! :D

@ topic
Water water water for me. I've seen people make themselves sick by drinking too much though. Drinking until you're bulging or belching is bad, just drink enough water to keep you from feeling thirsty. If it's real hot, and you've just gotta be out in it, good cover is the best medicine. Brimmed hat (to cover my bald head and ears), loose legged pants, light long sleeved shirt(or sunbock and a light sleeveless) with a T-shirt underneath. People think I'm crazy for wearing a t-shirt all the time under my clothes, but it sure seems to help me. It gets a little wet from sweat on really hot days, but it cools the body and doesn't evaporate too fast because it's protected from direct sunlight by the other shirt.

LittleRedToyota
06-08-09, 12:55
If this question doesn’t fit this area please feel free to move it.
I live and shoot in South Florida. Summer matches and training are extremely hot and humid. I would like to see if there are other suggestions for spending time in the sun that work for other people and I am overlooking.

Generally I try to start hydrating more than normal a day or two before. I will dress in an Under Armor shirt and underwear, light colored hat but am most comfortable in jeans. That morning I cut back to two cups of coffee, followed by Gatorade and then water and more water.
Breakfast is two bananas and maybe some bread as the morning progresses. I keep a wet towel on my neck. I also grab some Advil to mitigate a heat headache.

Very open to any and all other suggestions.
TIA
jon

edited for typo on under armor

some things that have helped me deal with playing sports, etc. on hot, humid, sunny days:

- get into the shade at every opportunity possible. i like to take a big golf umbrella with me so i can create my own shade whenever i am on the sidelines not actually participating. do not just stand around in the sun. (this makes a huge difference over the course of a day.)

- wear good, dark sunglasses and a (light) hat with a brim that keeps the sun out of your eyes (this might help with the headaches you mention...at least for me, it is the bright light, more than the heat that gives me headaches. also, don't take too much ibuprofen when exercising on hot, humid days as it can speed up dehydration. caffeine also increases dehyrdation. your headaches may be coming from either the light or dehydration rather than the heat itself)

- drink a *little* gatorade throughout the day. drink mostly water, but do mix in some gatorade or other sports drink. yeah, they have sugar, but you should be burning that up anyway. you need to replace lost electrolytes throughout the day, though, too. gatorade is not the only way to do this, but it is one. straight gatorade is too much, though. i personally cut it 50/50 with water and then still drink considerably more straight water than the cut gatorade.

- eat some clif bars (or similar...but check what is in them--all energy bars are far from equal) thoughout the day. i like to eat about a half a bar every hour or so, but it depends on your body and the intensity of the activity.

- eating bananas throughout the day is good, too. pickle juice is also great for replacing electrolytes (prolly better than bananas), so munching some pickles throughout the day is good.

most of all, though...

if you are not peeing (clear urine) regularly throughout the day, you are not adequately hydrated. at the same time, though, you have to guard against drinking too much water without replacing electrolytes--which is why you need to eat throughout the day.

(when i was younger and dumber, i once got so dehydrated during a weekend sports tournament that my kidneys shut down and i had to be admitted to the hospital. i've been in some pain, before, but that one takes the cake...do not let it happen to you--it is not fun and is potentially life threatening.)

CAPT KIRK
06-08-09, 18:48
Lessons from Desert Racing.....

Hydrate or die. If your pee'ing lots and clear, your getting enough.

Water before and during the "event". A lot of desert racers drink their favorite diaretic (beer, coffee, etc) along with lots more water after. This helps flush any lactic acids etc that build up, which helps us not be so sore the next few days.

Get electrolytes too..... Gatorade is the most common source for desert racers, but I do know guys who use Pedialite for serious electrolyte replacement.

You also need to replenish things like potasium (bannanas) and salt (salty snacks) that get flushed out with all the sweating and peeing. If you hydrate well and dont do this you will still suffer.

Hersh
06-08-09, 19:00
Working outside has taught me a few things about the heat and I'd echo the ideas that have already been mentioned. In addition to staying hydrated, a large brimmed hat will go a long way to keeping you more comfortable. The sun on top of your melon will heat you up quickly.

ryanm
06-08-09, 19:02
FWIW, cranberry juice. I replaced gatorade with it, haven't looked back. The only problem is whether or not the DFAC has it! Drinking the same amount of fluid overall. For some reason, this has also greatly reduced the frequency/urgency of having to take a wiz despite the summer heat. Seems like when I drank gatorade, I outprocessed faster. Not sure why there would be much of a difference in terms of filtrate processing speed with my kidneys vs the gatorade.

matthewdanger
06-08-09, 19:07
I have always had a hard time with heat. I tend to keep a high body temp all the time and training in external heat can be a challenge. I would often end up sick to my stomach and with headaches at the end of a day training. My body simply does not handle heat well, but gash darn it, I have training to do!

I have found a few things that really help me.

- Be deliberate with the clothes that you wear. Have a set (or sets) of hot weather clothes. You may need to experiment a bit with this. I have found that natural fibers like cotton can sometimes be cooler than products like Underarmor that are specifically marketed as heat gear. The synthetic fibers are great at wicking sweat but it feels like they trap heat. Also wear light colors.

- Keep a bandana with you. When you start feeling over heated just wet the bandana and put it around your neck. This will cool your quickly even while you continue to train. There are also purpose built products that are even more effective at this sort of thing and even come in various camo patterns if that concerns you.

- Find shade whenever you can! There can be as much as a 20 degree temperature difference between full sun and full shade.

- Most importantly... HYDRATE! I like to start my mornings off with a Nalgene full of water. I will continue to drink water until lunch time. If it is really hot and I have been doing some serious sweating, I switch to a product like Gatorade or Pedialite (or other low sugar options). If you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. Don't wait until you are thirsty.

- I like baseball style caps for sunny days. Usually when I am really hot it is struggle to keep the hat on without feeling like I am cooking under it. So I have found that it is very useful to be able to soak the whole hat. I will have to try a visor like Rob someday.

Vic303
06-09-09, 12:04
Remember too that certain supplements ( B-100 and others) can color your urine so that 'peeing clear' is no longer a visual indicator of hydration. Another test can be the skin tenting. Pinch the skin on the back of the hand for a couple seconds. If it fails to snap back flat immediately, but rather maintains a wrinkle and sinks back flat more slowly, it is a sign you are probably low on fluids.

UVvis
06-09-09, 12:37
Urine related question here.

Clear and colorless are not the same to me.

By saying clear urine, that is in reference to urine being not cloudy correct.

Or by saying clear urine, is it in reference to a lack of color?

Vic303
06-09-09, 14:12
In my usage of 'clear' I meant without significant yellow/dark coloration. I was not referring to any cloudiness that could be present.

LittleRedToyota
06-09-09, 17:33
Urine related question here.

Clear and colorless are not the same to me.

By saying clear urine, that is in reference to urine being not cloudy correct.

Or by saying clear urine, is it in reference to a lack of color?

i've never heard of exercise--even to the point of dehydration--causing cloudy urine, but i dunno. (i do know that cloudy urine can, but does not necessarily, indicate some type of problem--like a urinary tract infection.)

at any rate, i was speaking about it being colorless (or, well, close to colorless).

however, vic303 raises a good point. in my experience, though, supplements/vitamins make my urine almost glow (sort of bright neon coloring) while dehyrdation makes it very dark. but there may be supplements that i have just never taken that make your urine dark as well. maybe pay more attention to frequency and less to coloration if you are taking supplements that make your urine dark all the time.

(when i say "cloudy", i mean looks like there are particulates suspended in it. "dark", on the other hand, just refers to the color--it doesn't look like it has particulates suspended in it. the coloring is uniform and you can still see through it, though not as well obviously, but it is just a darker color. think dark yellow--almost bordering on orange--versus a yellow you can barely even perceive as a color.)

UVvis
06-10-09, 11:12
Thanks,

I've always been taught that clear and copious is good. Meaning, plenty of it, and not cloudy. I've never been taught that color was a strong indicator of much.

WS6
06-19-09, 02:09
I just make sure to drink to replace fluids lost. Body weight is the best indicator here.

I still run outside in the heat of the day, whatever. Oh, I wear sunscreen on my face if outdoors more than 1 hour at a time.

WS6
06-19-09, 02:12
Thanks,

I've always been taught that clear and copious is good. Meaning, plenty of it, and not cloudy. I've never been taught that color was a strong indicator of much.

Color indicates how much your kidneys are concentrating the urin (in a gradient from clear to dark yellow). Usually cloudy is used as an indicator of infection, etc. Not something you normally worry about if you are healthy. This is more of a concern in the hospital/after a UTI/STI.

A very dark yellow can indicate a kidney problem or hepatic problem.

Also, some drugs like pyridium can cause discoloration of the urin, again, this will be included in your Pt. education before you are d/c'ed.

Hematauria(sp* it's 2am) is indicative of kidney/ureter/bladder trauma or a kidney stone.

And this is the layman's guide to urin, as compiled by a BSSN at 2am.

ETA: A light yellow is perfectly healthy and normal.

Rated21R
06-19-09, 04:08
Well seeing as we are dealing with temps topping out at 115 or so right about now I figured I would chime in.

Light breakfast, plenty of fruit (watermelon and apples and such). No coffee or tea as they only dehydrate you.

Drink water starting at breakfast and continue to keep it on you. We have the 1 liter bottles are we are drinking at least one an hour.

We take breaks about 10-15 per hour depending on hard we are working and take them in the shade.

A nice boonie hat and some dark shades work wonders.

We really don't drink gatorade that much, water is much better, not as much sugar and such. If you do feel really dehydrated Pedialite is amazing and you can dilute with water.

Replenish some salts at lunch time by just using a little on your food, you really don't need salt tabs or the like.

Continue to drink water even at night (it sucks to get up and pee like 3-4 times at night but it's worth it when you aren't hurting the next day.

Oh and we don't work super hard at the max sun time (12-2ish) but we are out there from 0700 until around 1800 and our guys have been handling it great.

Just my 2 cents from sweet and sunny Iraq. :D

WS6
06-19-09, 06:50
Well seeing as we are dealing with temps topping out at 115 or so right about now I figured I would chime in.

Light breakfast, plenty of fruit (watermelon and apples and such). No coffee or tea as they only dehydrate you.

Drink water starting at breakfast and continue to keep it on you. We have the 1 liter bottles are we are drinking at least one an hour.

We take breaks about 10-15 per hour depending on hard we are working and take them in the shade.

A nice boonie hat and some dark shades work wonders.

We really don't drink gatorade that much, water is much better, not as much sugar and such. If you do feel really dehydrated Pedialite is amazing and you can dilute with water.

Replenish some salts at lunch time by just using a little on your food, you really don't need salt tabs or the like.

Continue to drink water even at night (it sucks to get up and pee like 3-4 times at night but it's worth it when you aren't hurting the next day.

Oh and we don't work super hard at the max sun time (12-2ish) but we are out there from 0700 until around 1800 and our guys have been handling it great.

Just my 2 cents from sweet and sunny Iraq. :D


Huge +1 on Pedialite. Either that, or one of the 0-calorie drinks like Poweraid Zero.

cabbynate
07-10-09, 17:20
I work in the heat of the Nevada desert and I can tell you I have tried most everything. Drinking plenty of water will not replace the minerals you sweat/work out of your body. Also you are putting your body through a lot of stress. I have found a supplement called Electrolyte Stamina by Traced Minerals Research that works great. I add one packet to the first bottle of water I drink and after that just straight water and it keeps me going strong all through my shift. I also eat a 600-700 calorie meal and have a 120 calorie protein shake that I add Acai berry juice to and this keeps me strong through my hole shift.... I consume about 80oz of water through out the day. I am in and out of my work truck assisting people with broken down cars/trucks changing tires, batteries etc...

Dunderway
07-10-09, 23:41
@ rob_s
Yeah, but you have hair!!! :D


Rob is very right.

If you have hair (full scalp coverage): wear a visor

If you don't: wear a mesh bill-cap (yes they make them that don't make you look like a tool).

Think about how much difference a skull-cap/stocking hat makes in the winter. Now reverse that effect in the summer.

Dunderway
07-10-09, 23:49
Color indicates how much your kidneys are concentrating the urin (in a gradient from clear to dark yellow). Usually cloudy is used as an indicator of infection, etc. Not something you normally worry about if you are healthy. This is more of a concern in the hospital/after a UTI/STI.

A very dark yellow can indicate a kidney problem or hepatic problem.

Also, some drugs like pyridium can cause discoloration of the urin, again, this will be included in your Pt. education before you are d/c'ed.

Hematauria(sp* it's 2am) is indicative of kidney/ureter/bladder trauma or a kidney stone.

And this is the layman's guide to urin, as compiled by a BSSN at 2am.

ETA: A light yellow is perfectly healthy and normal.

Our coremen always told us that yellow pee = dehydrated.
This excludeds supplements that will turn your urine different colors.

They explained it as this: When is your urine the darkest? First pee in the morning, right? That's because you haven't had water in 5-8 hours.

If your pee is yellow during the day, you are already dehydrated and need to increase your fluid intake in the future.

Also, when you perspire profusely, you lose "things" (sorry I'm no rocket surgeon, or brain scientist) that water can't replace. When attended different fire fighting schools, you could litteraly dump the sweat out of your boots at the end of the day. You need gatorade or something similar to replace your electrolites and keep you going.

I am not a doctor, and all medical advice is purely anecdotal.

randolph
07-11-09, 22:28
coffe is no longer considered a diuretic, do a quick search on it.
for example...:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coffee_and_health

i do quite a bit of training in the houston heat, I prefer pedeolites cut w/ water and Vitimine water also works well for me.

hammer nutrition sells several items to help battle training in the heat.