SCORE Journal - The Official Publication of SCORE Off-Road Racing
Issue link: http://read.uberflip.com/i/726957
SCORE INTERNATIONAL DRIVER SAFETY WORKSHOP "When you build up a heat load and you can't dissipate the heat, your core temperature goes up. It is one of the most common causes of disabilities in sports, and the third leading cause of death in high school athletics," Dr. Trammell said. Of course, Dr. Trammell was referring to the effect heat has on racing in Mexico's vast desert, where temperatures often reach triple digits and can get even hotter inside a race car. According to Trammell, sweating rids the body of heat naturally, but if the humidity outside is too high you can't sweat and the body's core temperature can rise to dangerous levels. What Trammell suggested that racers lose their performance edge physically if they are not properly hydrated. In studies, performance is directly related to the state of hydration. In a hot race car, this scenario is magnified. It's called heat exhaustion. "One of the best ways to get hydrated quickly is with a crushed ice drink (not soda), warm water will simply sit in your stomach, where something really cold hydrates your body, "Trammell said. Trammell's theory on heat and hydration is in direct relationship to the fire suit, a must-have to prevent injury. But fire suits need to be breathable too, in order to prevent heat stroke. "The number one thing you can do when you buy a fire suit is to blow through it. If you can't feel the air on your hand, then put it back on the shelf and pick another one that breathes through the material," said Trammell. Trammell spoke freely about fire retardant suits, underwear, balaclavas and of course, the relationship these products have to govern the body's core temperature. The idea is to have products that keep you cooler, not hotter, while still protecting you from a fire. After his educating look at safety gear, someone in the audience questioned Trammell about whether stuffing a plastic bag filled with ice down the fire suit did anything to lower the body temperature. Trammell responded by saying, it would better to simply unzip your fire suit top if you are sitting on the grid, for example, and expose the fire retardant underwear to the air. Ice directly on the body does nothing to lower the body's core temperature, it might feel good but that's all it does. While much of what Trammell said was based on science and statistics, some of his lectures OSCAR ESCOBEDO, SECRETARY OF TOURISM, BAJA, SPOKE BRIEFLY ABOUT CHANGES IN THE TRAFFIC LAWS THAT WILL GO INTO EFFECT SOON TO HELP REDUCE HIGHWAY ACCIDENTS DURING RACES. 014 SCORE JOURNAL