By ERIC VICCARO
bnewssports@sbcglobal.net

On the University Interscholastic League website, there is an entire page dedicated to heat stress and athletic participation.
Face it. Practicing in the early August Texas heat can be unbearable, and that’s forced local high schools to establish protocols and move practices to the early morning.
“We have an emergency response plan in place,” Bowie head football coach/athletic director Dylan Stark said.
One coach performs cardiopulmonary resuscitation, with another assistant. Another coach calls 9-1-1, and yet another directs emergency response personnel. There’s also one coach responsible for using the defibrillator, a device used to treat abnormal heart rhythm.
The Bowie Independent School District has a working agreement with Bowie Memorial Hospital to provide support personnel.
Director of Rehabilitation John Gwilliam serves as an athletic trainer on the sideline at football games, along with fellow staff members Amanda Thompson and Krystal Montgomery.
“I think the coaches do a good job of getting the kids used to the heat and humidity,” Gwilliam said.
There are plenty of hydration options – water, Pedialyte with sodium and Gatorade. Gwilliam recommends if Gatorade is consumed to dilute it with water.
One thing is for sure, it’s not a good idea for an athlete to have energy drinks before a training session.
“Coaches are adamant about it,” Gwilliam said. “It can have a detrimental effect (on your body).”
Gwilliam reported using energy drinks can quickly dehydrate the body and make kidneys work harder than they need to.
In fact, Gwilliam remembers an incident last decade in which an unspecified Bowie football player consumed an energy drink before a game, and he severely cramped up during the third quarter.
“We had to use an IV on the sideline,” he said. “We were close to taking him to the emergency room.”
Even if you don’t feel thirsty, Gwilliam recommends athletes hydrate every 30 minutes. Get essential vitamins and minerals by eating fruits and vegetables as well as lean protein. Read more in the mid-week edition of The Bowie News.

Bowie players stretch during one of the many water breaks during practice on Monday at Jackrabbit Stadium. At left is trainer Logan McMurray.  (News photo by Eric Viccaro)