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June 1, 2001 Don't forget the water Summer activities require rest breaks, sunscreen Ed Severson Summer defenses - Advice by Tucson Fitness Professionals Here are a few suggestions to help keep exercise in the hot summer sun safer.

* Drink lots of water: four to six quarts, per person per day. * Use electrolyte replacements, such as Gatorade, Powerade and Gookinade. * Wear a broad-brimmed hat. * Wear long pants and long-sleeved shirts. * Wear synthetic-fibered clothes that offer sun protection and that carry away sweat. * Wear sunglasses that block out UV rays. * When possible, seek shade. * Wear sunscreen. * Rest regularly. Summertime Tucson. Temp: 100 and climbing. Time for a long run, a hard hike or maybe 30 miles of mountain biking. Whoa! "I think it's borderline dangerous to work hard in the hottest part of the afternoon," said Scott Casterlin, a Southern Arizona Hiking Club guide. "I go a little bit slower and don't push too fast or too hard." Like others who enjoy outdoor exercise, he has learned to respect desert summers. No respect? Pay the penalty. Several years ago at the Grand Canyon, Casterlin saw a young, fit runner on the trail who had been felled by the heat. He found a ranger to help the fellow, who, after being treated, spent the night in the Canyon before making it back out. "Even people who are in the best shape can get a little cocky in a hot, dry environment," Casterlin said. First thing to remember in the summer is water: up to five or six quarts a day per person. Casterlin begins filling up even before he steps out onto a summer trail. "I like to start drinking water the day before, sipping and increasing my intake," he said. Like others who exercise outside, he uses an electrolyte-replacement drink - Gatorade, Powerade and Gookinade are three examples - to replace the salts that he loses through sweating. To keep up his energy, he eats regular small snacks, such as fruit rolls, nuts, raisins, and cheese and crackers. His clothes are his armor against the brutal Arizona sun. "I never wear baseball-style caps, because they don't protect the ears or back of the neck," he said. Instead, he prefers a cap with a wide brim all of the way around; he avoids shorts and only wears long-sleeved shirts. Ron Holland recommends that Tucsonans do their outdoor activities early in the morning or late in the afternoon. "Even by 8 in the morning, the temperature can be in the 90s," he said. A certified master trainer, Holland owns S.W.A.T. Personal Training,  4160 W. Ina Road. He suggests wearing synthetic-fibered clothes that provide extra protection against the sun and that carry away sweat to aid the cooling process. "Even in the evening and in the morning, wear sunblockers," he said. "The sun's rays can still harm your skin." "Allow for periods of activity and rest" during summer exercise, said Dr. William Grana, professor and head of the department of orthopedic surgery at the UA College of Medicine. He said that heat illness can range from heat cramps to heat exhaustion to heatstroke. Heat exhaustion can result in headaches, dizziness, nausea, and possibly chills and confusion. Time to rest, drink, cool off. "Heatstroke is a medical emergency," he said. "It's treated with IV fluids, salt solutions, that sort of thing," Grana said. The body can't cool itself. "In that stage, one would probably be close to unconsciousness," he said. But bad things don't have to happen. "Moderation and taking things in graduated steps is the key," Grana said. * Contact Ed Severson at 573-4137 or at severson@azstarnet.com.

Copyright 2001 The Arizona Daily Star