Not sure if this belongs in the coaching forum, but I couldn't think of a better spot for it. This article is from a popular triathlon website: http://www.slowtwitch.com/Training/Solar_Radiation_on_Performance_5870.html It discusses how hot sun/hot skin can be linked to a drop in performance. Probably not a big surprise- If you are hot, you won't be as fast. But it also discusses the use of certain apparel items to keep your skin cool. A lot of games are played on a fake turf surface which tends to reflect the sun and make the surface area much hotter than a grass surface. My kids wear a "typical" adidas uniform. Home is navy blue. Away is white. It's a heavy-ish material but it's definitely better than cotton. Would Socce players be better served by using materials and items that a triathlete would wear? Arm coolers. Cooler socks. Tighter materials designed to reflect the sun better. Under garments. Maybe even cleats that are designed to be cooler. I've done quite a few triathlons (from sprint to ironman distance). Arm coolers were always something I used.
I'd be willing to bet in the high end uniforms, the fittings and material are similar to those used by triathletes. wouldn't judge based on your youth team stock product. Interesting about the arm coolers. I start my summer league tonight and that summer 5:30 PM sun and 90 degrees is my least favorite condition to play in, though I don't mind riding my bike so much in it.
The single biggest impact would be to water synthetic fields before matches to cool them by evaporation. Costs money though so governments won't allow it and would rather risk heat injury in children playing on the fields during the hottest parts of the day. Water evaporation will also cool natural fields, but the temperatures are usually not so extreme and good natural fields drain well.
Up until I read the article, I used to think that bringing an EZ-Up to a game was a waste of time. I am now a believer and whenever we are expecting a sunny day, my team will be sitting in shade. (My prior thinking was "you're not going to melt out in the sun for 70 minutes. And since you'll be on the field for about 50 minutes, the 20 on the bench won't be a big enough deal for the shade to matter."
From personal experience, standing in the hot sun is worse than playing in the hot sun. When you stand you loose the advantage of moving air giving higher cooling. Coming off the field, you still have a hot core and need to shed the heat even though you came off the field. You also lose the advantage of legs assisting the heart, but I don't know if that makes a difference of not. In really hot weather (100 degrees and high humidity) I insisted that players get in the shade. Never had a referee complain about players leaving the sunny sideline for the shade. Synthetic turf greatly increases the danger of heat injury.
No way. Find shade. The hardest part being a coach at a tournament is managing your team off the field.
Hydration drink like crazy the day before. Drink three hour before we had water bottle with our medical kit. Player took them. Keeper had on in goal. A coach named Jim Gordon sent me a lot on it. In tournament it very important to keep players together in between games. They tend to disappear. Find shade is right. See Lawrence of Arabia? They made little tens and got their heads under them. Any way I will post his post. It is definately to much information. He sent it around 2009. Regards, Jim Gordon ========================================= "Hydration: Preparation and Warning Signs Forget about every other question that you have about nutrition until youâve figured out how to stay hydrated. Being smart about hydration can separate good performance from great performance. You are mostly water. In fact, if you took the water out of a 180-pound lean body, there would be about 55 pounds left. Because your muscles, your brain, your blood and sweat are mostly water, your body doesnât work like it should when it is not properly hydrated. You donât think as clearly, your endurance is compromised and your heart works harder. When youâre severely dehydrated, sweating stops and your body overheats. The result is fatigue, weakness, dizziness, and collapse, or worse. In fact, every year, deaths in young healthy athletes are linked to severe dehydration. Sweat It Out Sometimes you donât even see sweat, like when you swim. But you sweat whenever your body heats up from working out. Sweat is your bodyâs cooling system. Evaporation of sweat from your skin cools you down. When you sweat, you lose fluid from your body. That fluid must be replaced, and replacing fluids takes a plan. Dehydration: A shortage of fluids in the body. Donât Rely on Thirst You might be thinking, âWhatâs the big deal? Wonât drinking when Iâm thirsty guarantee that Iâm hydrated?â Surprisingly, no. During exercise, for reasons not totally understood, humans donât drink enough to prevent dehydration. You need to drink before youâre thirsty and keep drinking after you no longer feel thirsty. Drink It In Forget about the old rule of drinking 8 glasses of water per day. You probably need more than that on most days. Counting how many glasses you drink is only one way of keeping track of what you need. A better way of making sure youâre hydrated is to check your body weight before and after practice. For accuracy, weigh yourself in minimal clothing if thereâs privacy, and afterwards, change out of the sweaty clothing before you weigh. The weight lost during practice or competition is not fat, itâs fluid loss. One pint of fluid weighs one pound. To replace the fluid, drink one pint of fluid (Gatorade or water) for every pound you lost. (One pint = 16 ounces = 500 ml = ½ liter). It is critical to replace this as quickly as possible. Before your next workout, your weight should be back up to normal. If you canât check your weight, pay attention to your body for signs of dehydration. Your mouth should not be dry. Your urine should be lemon-colored most of the time. More than one episode of dark yellow urine is a warning sign that you donât have much reserve. (Exception: Vitamin supplements can turn your urine yellow-orange, even if you are hydrated.) Loss of appetite, stomach aches, and muscle cramps can be other warning signals of dehydration. When? Drink before, during and after working out. Drink a pint or so of fluid a few hours before exercise. This will help make sure you are hydrated and give you enough time to urinate if you need to beforehand. Keep drinking during exercise. And donât worry about getting too much fluid. If youâre sweating, your body needs a constant supply. Your stomach might gurgle, but your body will absorb and use the fluid. Feeling sick and cramping have been blamed on too much water when in fact, stomachaches and muscle cramps are usually signs of not drinking enough fluid. Drinking fluids after workouts is extremely important. Even when drinking fluids during a workout, many athletes become dehydrated. Athletes working out in the heat for several hours can lose 10 pounds. Thatâs more than a gallon of water. Hydration Tip: Keep your hydration source full and in plain sight so you remember to drink it. What Should I Drink? Your body needs water. But remember water comes in all sizes, shapes and colors. Milk is 90% water. Juice and most soft drinks are 89% water, sport drinks are 94% water, and even pizza is 50% water. And it all counts. Nearly everything that passes your lips provides water for your body, and in fact, research shows that most hydration happens at meals from the combination of food and beverages. Research also shows that we tend to drink more if the fluid is flavored and if a variety of fluids are available. Gatorade and water are two excellent sources for hydration. Keys to Hydration When you have figured out how to stay hydrated, especially when you sweat heavily, you have accomplished the single most important performance-enhancing aspect of nutrition. Water is your most important nutrient. Outline for Heat Illnesses Source: USOC Sports Medicine Division Heat illnesses are common problems for both athletes and non-athletes in hot, humid weather. Heat Cramps, Heat Exhaustion, and Heat Stroke start from similar circumstances: poor adjustment to hot weather and relative dehydration. These conditions can be severe and need emergency medical attention. All are preventable if certain procedures, such as time to adjust to heat, adequate fluids, and normal dietary electrolyte intake, are followed. Heat Cramps Cause Inadequate adjustment to hot weather, heavy sweating; decreased blood levels of electrolytes; fluids and electrolytes not adequately replaced; unreplaced weight loss from previous workout/day. Clinical signs and symptoms Muscles in arms, legs, and/or abdomen spasm uncontrollably, accompanied by heavy sweating. Treatment Drink fluids; gently stretch and massage cramped muscles; rest in cool environment; apply ice to cramped area; watch for breathing or heart problems. Prevention Maintain adequate fluid intake by replacing sweat losses: 15-30 minutes before exercise, drink 16 oz. of fluid; during exercise, drink 8oz. every 15 minutes; and after exercise drink 16 oz. of water/electrolyte drink (i.e., PowerAde, Gatorade) for every pound of body weight loss; increase fitness; wear light colored and/or lightweight (i.e. mesh) clothing; do not use alcohol, coffee, caffienated drinks, or soda pop for fluid replacement. Heat Exhaustion Cause Long exposure to hot and/or humid environment; heavy sweating; fluids and electrolytes not replaced adequately; unreplaced weight loss from previous workout/day. Clinical signs and symptoms Skin cool, pale and moist; heavy sweating; headache; dizziness; poor coordination; mental dullness; enlarged pupils; nausea; vomiting; fatigue; weakness; thirsty; small urine volume (bright yellow color); possibility of unconsciousness. Treatment Stop activity; rest in a cool area; sponge with cool water; drink water if conscious (replace weight loss with 16 oz of fluid for each pound of body weight); watch for breathing or heart problems; refer to physician attention if recovery does not occur quickly. Prevention Maintain adequate fluid intake by replacing sweat losses; 15-30 minutes before exercise drink 16 ounces of fluid, during exercise drink 8 ounces every 15 minutes, and after exercise drink 16 ounces of water-electrolyte drink (i.e. Powerade, Gatorade for every pound of body weight lost; increase fitness; wear light colored and/or lightweight (i.e. mesh) clothing; do not use alcohol, coffee, caffeinated drinks, or soda pop for fluid replacement; allow time for rest and cool down. Heatstroke Cause Bodyâs temperature control system stops working. Clinical signs and symptoms Hot, dry and red skin; no sweating; rapid pulse; confusion; dizziness; unconsciousness; rectal temperature as high as 104°-106° Fahrenheit. Treatment: Medical Emergency! Immediate emergency cooling (e.g. cool room, put body in tub of ice water, ice cloths with a fan blowing on skin) and transport immediately to hospital; check temperature; watch for breathing or heart problems (may need CPR) Prevention Maintain adequate fluid intake by replacing sweat losses; 15-30 minutes before exercise drink 16 ounces of fluid, during exercise drink 8 ounces every 15 minutes, and after exercise drink 16 ounces of water/electrolyte drink (i.e. mesh) clothing; do not use alcohol, coffee, caffeinated drinks, or soda pop for fluid replacement; allow time for rest and cool down. Sources: ICSN, International Center for Sports Nutrition USOC, United States Olympic Committee â Sports Medicine Division USSF, United States Soccer Federation â Sports Medicine Committee (Thanks to Mark Stein, ATC, for his help with this project.) 1991 United States Olympic Committee (revised November 1999) Water Content of Common Foods and Drinks Item Water content, approximate Diet soft drinks, tea, coffee 99% Sports drinks (Gatorade) 94% Milk 90% Soup 90% Soft Drinks, soda pop, juice 89% Yogurt 80% Corn 76% Baked potato 74% Cooked rice 73% Cooked pasta 66% Taco 59% Chicken 54% Ground beef 53% Pizza 50% Prepared by the U.S. Olympic Sports Medicine Division and the International Center for Sports Nutrition.1999 U.S. Olympic Committee USOC Medical Emergency Procedures Heat Illness Guidelines Recognition Heat Cramps Musculature spasm of extremity and abdomen Heavy sweating Core temperature normal or slightly elevated Heat Exhaustion Cool, moist, pale or flushed skin Headache and dizziness Strong, slow pulse Weakness, confusion, and fatigue Nausea, vomiting Heat Stroke Usually, hot, dry, flushed skin Headache and dizziness Strong, slow pulse Heavy sweating, thirst Fluid and electrolyte depletion Enlarged pupils Possible unconsciousness Management Heat Cramps Cease activity and remove from heat Rest and drink cool fluids Monitor for change in symptoms Heat Exhaustion Cease activity and remove from heat Sponge with cool water Slowly administer cool fluids orally if conscious Monitor for change in symptoms Heat Stroke Activate EMS Remove wet clothing and sponge with cold water Monitor symptoms Remove from heat Referral Heat Cramp/Heat Exhaustion Contact consulting physician if complications occur or symptoms do not resolve Heat Stroke Activate EMS Follow Up Heat Cramp/Heat Exhaustion Maintain adequate fluid intake, adequate rest and cooling periods, acclimatize to environment, physician release if indicated Heat Stroke Physician release to activity Maintain adequate fluid intake Adequate rest and cooling periods Acclimatize to environment Notify Head ATC or designee and appraise of situation Notify the emergency contact of the patient if they are a minor"
That's the truth...I'm not a coach but my 8 year old and his teammates always seem to like running around between games during tournaments tiring themselves out before the match even starts. You always hear parents and coaches yell at their children to sit down and relax
I would think that the "cool" gear would have a positive effect on performance. I'm always interested in that stuff. I've wondered about turf cleats that can reflect the heat away. Mylar material does this very well. I'm sure if they can do it for a space craft, they can do it for soccer cleats on turf.
My players have learned the hard way not to sabotage their tournament efforts. They can over eat and be lethargic in the afternoon game. They can play too much and be tired for the next game. They can not hydrate and performance drops in the second half. But again, this is why they are kids and not pros. Their performances are wildly inconsistent.