Beat the heat: managing heat and hydration in marching band.

Marching band students are athletes who practice outdoors under conditions that expose them to dehydration, heat exhaustion, and sunstroke. They suffer these heat-related injuries because breaking formation frequently to adequately hydrate is impractical. This project developed educational materials alerting the students and the director to heat-related illnesses and tested a simple method of fluid replacement that could be used during practice. A Heat Index chart was adapted to identify hazardous conditions; fluid intake recommendations were made based on the Heat Index. Students purchased a water bottle housed in an insulated belt that was worn during all outdoor rehearsals. Because water was readily available, the students were able to drink the necessary fluids without interrupting the rehearsal. These bottles have been used successfully for 3 years. Based on limited subjective data, the students reported feeling better, their mental acuity improved, and rehearsals were more productive. This article examines the effects of heat on the body and reports on a practical solution that has been found to protect marching band members from heat-related stress.