NMAA HEAT ILLNESS PREVENTION PROTOCOL

To help minimize the risk of heat illness and/or stroke to student-athletes, the New Mexico Activities Association suggests the following:

• Not restricting intake of fluids,
• Frequent water breaks,
• Practicing in cooler parts of the day,
• Removing protective equipment,
• Preparations in place for suspected heat illness/stroke – cold tub, tarp, etc

Here are other resources to help avoid heat illness:

• NMAA Heat Illness Policy – https://www.nmact.org/file/Heat_Illness_Prevention_Protocol.pdf
• Tarp Assisted Cooling with Oscillation (Cold Tub Alternative) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vonrI4IQOFM

Especially in football, it is crucial that heat acclimatizing guidelines are strictly followed with extra vigilance during the first 3-4 days of any transition or acclimatization period.