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A heatwave of two halves
8 August 2003
The football season kicks off this Saturday just as the UK’s temperatures are soaring to record levels. So will players and fans alike experience meltdown or will the right kind of pre-match training lead them to their goals?
During a usual 90 minute game, a midfielder will run about 5 miles* and will lose an average of two litres of water or approximately two kilograms in weight. However, with temperatures nearing 100 degrees for this weekend’s matches this will increase and it won’t be just the players who will need to monitor their fluid levels.
Dr Andrew Vallance-Owen, Bupa group medical director, and an ardent Newcastle United fan says: “A player could lose substantially more fluids than he usually does during his time on the pitch in this weather. The team’s physicans will be aware of these requirements, so it will be up to the fans to consider some pre-match preparation of their own to make sure they don’t suffer from sunburn, dehydration, heat exhaustion or sunstroke.”
The temperatures will have a huge impact. Staying in the shade when the sun is at its hottest will be impossible for many thousands of fans in stands across the country. Dr Vallance-Owen has this advice to ensure fans don’t go into injury time themselves. He said: “Keep your fluid levels up and make sure you drink enough non-alcoholic refreshments at half-time. Wear loose fitting clothing that covers your skin to protect yourself from sunburn and wear a hat to help prevent heat exhaustion. Use sun cream on areas still exposed to the sun, an SPF30 re-applied regularly, or if you paint your face in team colours, I’d suggest using a UV block for the same effect. Don’t be tempted to take your shirt off in this heat, it won’t make you feel cool and you probably won’t look it either!”
Although not often an object of the fan’s sympathy spare a thought for the referee who will be the most uncomfortable of all in his heat absorbing black shirt, especially since the temperature on the pitch is about ten degrees hotter than in the stands.
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