We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Illness at a Para Athletics Track and Field World Championships under Hot and Humid Ambient Conditions.
- Authors
Grobler, Lara; Derman, Wayne; Racinais, Sebastien; Ngai, Aston Seng Huey; Vliet, Peter; van de Vliet, Peter
- Abstract
<bold>Background: </bold>Heat-related illness, including heat exhaustion and heat stroke, is seen as a major risk for athletes with a physical impairment.<bold>Objective: </bold>Primary: To survey the illness statistics during the 2015 Para Athletics World Championships and report on any cases of significant heat-related illnesses. Secondary: To document the heat countermeasures taken on behalf of the organizing committee.<bold>Design: </bold>Retrospective audit.<bold>Setting: </bold>Medical records collected at medical centers during the 2015 Para Athletics World Championships.<bold>Participants: </bold>Athletes participating in the 2015 Para Athletics World Championships.<bold>Methods: </bold>Illness statistics and records of hospitalizations of athletes participating in the championships were recorded by the medical officials during the precompetition (3 days) and competition (10 days) periods. Furthermore, wet-bulb globe temperatures (WBGTs) were measured at the competition venues.<bold>Main Outcome Measurements: </bold>Incidence rates of illness during the precompetition and competition periods.<bold>Results: </bold>WBGTs ranged from 24.6°C to 36.0°C, regularly exceeding the American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) guidelines for cancelation in the morning both during the competition (ACSM, 52%; IAAF, 97%) and precompetition periods (ACSM, 75%; IAAF, 100%). These guidelines were not exceeded as regularly during the evening and noon for both the precompetition and competition periods (ACSM, 0%-5%; IAAF, 0%-58%). The illness incidence rate was 2.89 per 1000 athlete-days (incidence proportion = 3.76%; confidence interval = 2.69%-4.83%). Only seven cases of heat-related illness were recorded, of which three required hospitalization.<bold>Conclusion: </bold>This study indicates low rates of illness, including hospitalization and intravenous administration for heat-related illness among athletes participating in the 2015 Para Athletics World Championships.<bold>Level Of Evidence: </bold>III.
- Subjects
AMERICAN College of Sports Medicine; TRACK &; field; HEAT stroke; WORLD championships; HEAT exhaustion; DISEASES; COLLEGE sports
- Publication
PM & R: Journal of Injury, Function & Rehabilitation, 2019, Vol 11, Issue 9, p919
- ISSN
1934-1482
- Publication type
journal article
- DOI
10.1002/pmrj.12086