Acclimating to Florida weather is important for USF players’ health, expert says

Connecticut native Bella Gerace (pictured) has worked hard to acclimate to the Florida heat. USF ATHLETICS PHOTO

This week, Florida is facing a cold front and even snow in some northern regions.

But during the summer, most are preparing for the sweltering heat instead of icy conditions. 

For USF’s athletes, the time spent acclimating to Florida’s weather starts far before move-in day.

Last year, which was the hottest year on record, junior lacrosse midfielder Kaitlyn Tartaglione prepped with an early trip to campus. 

“I actually came to school almost a week and a half early,” Tartaglione said. “It’s just a different kind of heat.” 

Originally from New Jersey, Tartaglione said she felt making sure her body was in the correct condition to play in the heat was necessary to her success on the field. 

Dr. Eric Coris, director of primary care sports medicine at USF Health, led a study looking into northern players’ acclimation to heat. 

“This summer, we were concerned for our new USF Women’s Lacrosse team as many of them were coming from northern climates,” Dr. Coris said. 

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The study analyzed how heat acclimation affects heat strain and hydration among women’s lacrosse athletes using a control and experimental group. 

Freshman midfielder and Connecticut native Bella Gerace recounted her time as a member of the experimental group. 

“We went in a 100 degrees Fahrenheit chamber and you rode a bike for an hour,” Gerace said. “We did that for a week.”

Gerace said, although it was difficult, she felt that it helped her get used to heat in the long run. 

Coris said it’s best to take the heat seriously.

“It takes 7-10 sessions of exercise to fully acclimatize,” Coris said. “Heat exhaustion and potentially deadly heat stroke are a risk.”

Heat stroke is the third most common cause of sudden death among high school athletes in the U.S. 

In 2001, University of Florida football player Eraste Autin died of heat stroke during a voluntary workout. The death came as a shock to the Florida football community.

UF officials said Autin passed physicals before the season and did not show signs of distress during workouts, the Tampa Bay Times, then named the St. Petersburg Times, reported in 2001.

Still, due to the intense Florida heat, Autin’s body temperature soared to 108 degrees Fahrenheit after the workout and he died shortly after. 

Despite this, sudden death is not the only harmful effect that heat can have on the body. Heat exhaustion, heat cramps and heat oedema are, although lesser forms of heat illness, issues for improperly adjusted athletes. 

For northern athletes, the heat can be attractive when deciding where they want to attend university. 

“Lacrosse starts in early February and it can be really cold,” Gerace said. “I definitely considered going somewhere warmer.” 

In February, Tampa typically expects around 64 degree weather. In Tartaglione’s home state of New Jersey, the average drops to 37.5 degrees.

The worst part about playing in New Jersey, Tartaglione said, is often the sleet.

“The coldest game I played in was with snow,” Tartaglione recalled. “It was almost like a sleet that was flying in sideways.” 

While the temperature early on in the season is cool, by the time the summer comes around temperatures skyrocket. Temperatures reach as high as 90 degrees in Tampa during July and certainly can go higher. 

Coris explained, because of the competitive nature of sports, players sometimes avoid obvious symptoms related to these high temperatures.

“Players want to work and excel, so they might ignore early warning signs while trying to achieve their peak performance,” Coris said. 

Ignoring symptoms can be detrimental to a player’s performance and health. However, identifying warning signs can allow these health issues to be avoided entirely. 

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Identifying early warning signs allows athletes to take a break or receive water, letting their internal body heat lower before they exert themselves again.

Coris identified an issue with this methodology though: there is simply not enough knowledge about diagnosing athletes facing heat illness.

“Currently, there are no convenient and reliable tools for use in thoroughly assessing a patient with heat oedema, heat cramps or even heat exhaustion,” Coris said

This poses a unique issue for physicians dealing with athletes because of the difficulty of assessing proper treatment. 

Despite this, it is known that regular hydration, rest and ice can help alleviate some of the negatives of heat illness. Acclimating to the temperature is also vital to lowering one’s risk of heat illness. 

Tartaglione said the most important thing was simply making sure her body felt right when she exercised.

“It was important to know what my body needed electrolyte wise,” Tartaglione said. “I’m just making sure I’m feeling my body in the right way.”