Definition:
Low body temperature--96 degrees F or lower--which can be fatal if untreated. Symptoms include shivering, slow pulse, lethargy and a decrease in alertness. In severe cases, muscles become rigid and the victim can lose consciousness. Dehydration makes you more prone to hypothermia.
Remedy:
Keep moving to generate heat. Get to a warm place, wrap yourself in blankets and drink warm liquids. Snuggle up to the St. Bernard for his body heat, but refuse the whiskey around his neck--alcoholic beverages do not warm you. In fact, they cause more heat loss and promote fluid loss.
Runners who are most at risk are those who run in rural areas and on trails. Run with a partner, and dress appropriately--in layers, all synthetics. Cotton doesn't wick away your sweat, and wet skin loses 25 times more heat than dry skin. Wear a polypropylene hat and gloves.Carry a fanny pack, and take along 1 to 2 quarts of a sports beverage.
| Comments |
|International
|About Runner's World
|Advertising
|Your Privacy Rights
