How athletic trainers use science to shield athletes from the heat

As fall approaches in South Texas, high school stadiums come alive with cheers, marching bands and the cadence of football.

But it’s not just the opposing team athletes battling; it’s the brutal heat.

With daily highs often pushing past 90 degrees and turf temperatures spiking as high as 140°F, student-athletes are training under conditions that can quickly turn deadly.

At the University of the Incarnate Word, athletic training professor Dr. Reid Fisher has spent over a decade preparing students for this reality.

“There’s layers of prevention you can do,” Fisher said. “Mistakes have been made if you have to respond to someone being ill.”

That prevention begins with education and science.

From wet bulb globe thermometers that factor in humidity, sunlight, and airflow, to infrared tool