Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes follow a rigorous training schedule which includes several practice and exercise sessions in a day. Sometimes, they also tend to over-exert to lose weight instantly. Due to this the heat regulating mechanism of their body fails to get rid of the tremendous heat that it generates. This lack of cooling leads to increased body temperature which can be dangerous. It can cause heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heat rash and heat strokes. However, little care on the part of athletes or their trainers can prevent heat illness.
A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete should try to acclimatize his body to higher temperature before starting to train. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes usually have multiple training sessions in a day, which could expose them to extremely hot and humid conditions for long durations. An athlete can start by small training or workout sessions. He should ideally take 10 to 14 days to prepare his body to get used to prolonged high temperature and humidity.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes lose a lot of fluid through sweat. They also tend to spit frequently, which deteriorates the situation further. They need to replenish this loss of fluid to prevent heat illness. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes must consume fluids like water, sports drinks and juices at regular intervals. They shouldn’t take thirst as in indicator for lack of fluids. Usually, drinking a small quantity of water quenches thirst, but it hardly helps in making up for the total fluid loss of the body. Coaches can look for energy drinks that are good to taste so that the athlete is encouraged to drink them more often. Energy drinks also help athletes in making up for the lost nutrients such as sodium, electrolytes and potassium.
Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes must record their weight before and after every practice or workout session. This will give them a fair idea of the amount of fluid lost so that they can restore it. Ideally, an athlete should drink 24 ounces of water for every pound lost during a session. He must drink this fluid within six hours after the session. Reports say that an athlete must make up for 90% of the weight lost during practice if he plans to have another session in the same day.
During practice sessions, trainers must check the temperature and humidity level to ensure that the surrounding conditions do not become stressful for the athlete. They should also keep an eye on the athletes to spot any signs of heat illness.
In addition to the above measures, Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athletes must eat right and avoid taking salt tablets to make up for the lost sodium. This could lead to dehydration. A Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu athlete’s diet should contain 6 to 8 servings of fruits and balance of all necessary nutrients.
