Scorching temperatures leave athletes, fans at Canada Summer Games feeling the heat

A warm and humid air mass is keeping the heat in southern Manitoba another day after a sweltering two days of competition at the Canada Summer Games.

No athletes have been stopped by the heat since competition began on Saturday, said Jeff Hnatiuk, president and CEO of the 2017 Canada Summer Games Host Society.

"We haven't had any heat-related incidents yet but boy, we are sure staying on top of that and making sure they get the proper hydration," he said.

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A handful of spectators have suffered from heat-related illnesses, he said, but they were minor and were treated quickly.

"As a host society, it's top of mind for us to keep people hydrated," he said.

"Bring water, wear sun protection, hats, umbrellas."

Athletes and fans feeling the heat at Canada Summer Games

7 years ago

Duration 1:59

A warm and humid air mass is keeping the heat in southern Manitoba another day after a sweltering two days of competition at the Canada Summer Games.

Science of cooling down

When it comes to the science of cooling down, our bodies adapt better to getting a few degrees colder than to getting hotter, said Gordon Giesbrecht, a professor of thermophysiology at the University of Manitoba who is also known as Professor Popsicle.

"That's really because all our nerves, all our cells, when they start warming, they just don't work as well," he said.

There are a few things to keep in mind, he said.

Horrible humidity

Humid conditions can make it much more difficult for the body to cool, Giesbrecht said.

When the body is hot it sweats, and the water evaporates off the surface of the skin, cooling it. If the air is dry, it evaporates easily, but when it's humid, there's nowhere for the sweat to go.

"If we have very high humidity, there is already a lot of water vapour in the air.We can sweat all we want, but that liquid that we have can't evaporate into the air," he said.

Going into the shade won't block the humid air, but Giesbrecht said it will block the radiant heat of the sun.

Decisive drinking

Hydration is also key when it comes to beating the heat but it has to be continuous, not just when you are thirsty.

"By the time you are thirsty, you are starting to get [dehydrated]," Giesbrecht said.

"Drink before you go. Drink a couple of glasses. Make sure you take a one-litre water bottle. Your goal should be over the next two to three hours to finish off that water bottle."

Impact on athletes

A lot of athletes practice in different climates to prepare for any situation, but the heat can still affect their performance, Giesbrecht said.

Athletes should stay inside or in the shade before an event, he said.

"You could even pour water on yourself, and you will see people do this often during an event, but you can do it before an event," he said.

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Pavlos Antoniades won gold in the men's individual triathlon on Monday. He says he trained during the hotter part of the day for the last two weeks to prepare for the heat.

"At the start of the race I just told myself, for everyone it's gonna be hot outside, we're all under the same conditions so it's going to be hard for everybody. I focused on that the whole race," said Antoniades.

He says regardless of all his efforts to prepare and hydrate before the event, the heat was a big challenge.

"For sure it was hard, I had to concentrate on staying hydrated. Every water stop I got some water, cooled down and concentrated on staying cool and not give everything out in the beginning to conserve my effort and my energy," he said.