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Emergency action plans (EAPs) are considered best practice for the preparation of catastrophic events in sports and, when adequate, can effectively improve patient outcomes. The EAPs should include a collaboration of all personnel involved in the sporting activities, with high school coaches being well-positioned to implement these plans. Therefore, coaches can have a direct influence on the health and safety of their athletes through their involvement in an emergency response. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the understanding and adoption of EAPs as reported by coaches. A web-based questionnaire assessed adoption of an EAP; decisional stages for adoption of components of an EAP; and various characteristics (e.g., access to an athletic trainer facilitators and barriers). A total of 720 responses were included in this study. Nearly 25% of coaches reported being unaware if their school had an EAP, and coaches were more likely to adopt a comprehensive EAP if their school had access to an athletic trainer. A majority of coaches perceived financial assistance as a facilitator and financial limitations as a barrier for EAP implementation. The findings of this investigation illustrate the need for improved coaches’ educational awareness of emergency preparedness strategies within the high school setting.

The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of rehydration with a caffeinated beverage during non exercise periods on hydration status throughout consecutive practices in the heat. Ten (7 women, 3 men) partially heat-acclimated athletes (age 24 ± ly, body fat 19.2 ± 2%, weight 68.4 ± 4.0 kg, height 170 ± 3 cm) completed 3 successive days of 2-a-day practices (2 h/ practice, 4 h/d) in mild heat (WBGT = 23 °C). The 2 trials (double-blind, random, cross-over design) included; 1) caffeine (CAF) rehydrated with Coca-Cola® and 2) caffeine-free (CF) rehydrated with Caffeine-Free Coca-Cola®. Urine and psychological measures were determined before and after each 2-h practice. A significant difference was found for urine color for the post-AM time point, F = 5.526, P = 0.031. No differences were found among other variables (P > 0.05). In summary, there is little evidence to suggest that the use of beverages containing caffeine during non exercise might hinder hydration status.

The aim of the recent Inter-Association Task Force held in Washington, D.C. at the 2013 Youth Safety Summit determined best practice recommendations for preventing sudden death in secondary school athletics. This document highlights the major health and safety practices and policies in high school athletics that are paramount to keep student athletes safe. The purpose of this commentary is to review the findings of the document developed by the task force and to provide possible areas where research is needed to continue to educate medical practitioners, players, coaches, and parents on ways to prevent tragedies from occurring during sport.

Context: It is unknown how valid esophageal, rectal, and gastrointestinal temperatures (T_ES, T_RE, and T_GI) compare after exercise-induced hyperthermia under different hydration states. Objective: To examine the differences between T_ES, T_RE, and T_GI during passive rest following exercise-induced hyperthermia under 2 different hydration states: euhydrated (EU) and hypohydrated (HY). Design: Randomized crossover design. Setting: Controlled laboratory setting. Participants: 9 recreationally active male participants (mean ± SD age 24 ± 4 y, height 177.3 ± 9.9 cm, body mass 76.7 ± 11.6 kg, body fat 14.7% ± 5.8%). Intervention: Participants completed 2 trials (EU and HY) consisting of a bout of treadmill exercise (a 10-min walk at 4.8-7.2 km/h at a 5% grade followed by a 20-min jog at 8.0-12.1 km/h at a 1% grade) in a hot environment (ambient temperature 39.3 ± 1.0°C, relative humidity 37.6% ± 6.0%, wet bulb globe temperature 31.3 ± 1.5°C) followed by passive rest. Main Outcome Measures: Root-mean-squared difference (RMSD) was used to compare the variance of temperature readings at corresponding time points for T_RE vs T_GI, T_RE vs T_ES, and T_GI vs T_ES in EU and HY. RMSD values were compared using 3-way repeated-measures ANOVA. Post hoc analysis of significant main effects was done using Tukey honestly significant difference with significance set at P < .05. Results: RMSD values (°C) for all device comparisons were significantly different in EU (T_RE-T_GI, 0.11 ± 0.12; T_RE-T_ES, 1.58 ± 1.01; T_GI-T_ES, 2.04 ± 1.19) than HY (T_RE-T_GI, 0.22 ± 0.28; T_RE-T_ES, 1.27 ± 0.61; T_GI-T_ES, 1.16 ± 0.76) (P < .01). Across the 45-min bout of passive rest, there were no differences in T_RE, T_GI, and T_ES between EU and HY trials (P = .468). Conclusions: During passive rest after exercise in the heat, T_RE and T_GI were in good agreement when tracking body temperature, with a better agreement appearing in those maintaining a state of euhydration versus those who became hypohydrated during exercise; however, this small difference does not appear to be of clinical significance. The large differences were observed when comparing T_GI and T_RE with T_ES.