The National Collegiate Athletic Association says heatstroke is one of the top three killers of athletes. The Fort Valley State University football team says it follows NCAA guidelines to beat the heat.
Head athletic trainer for Fort Valley State University's football team, Ryan Stuart, says once temperatures reach 90 degrees, it's an indoor practice. Around noon, temperatures reached 94 degrees.
Stuart says, "Even if we can give them a little shade and cut the humidity by 20 percent, we've made a difference in the heat index and how their sweat is going to evaporate and cool their body."
Stuart says the athletes need electrolytes because of all the sweat they lose lifting weights.
Stuart says, "If you drink 4 gallons of water in 1 day and you don't take in enough electrolytes, you are going to have the same problem as if you didn't drink any water."
On a usual day, the team practices outside in a 300-pound container filled with iced water cooled down to 55 degrees, according to Stuart.
The NCAA has a few tips to avoid dehydration that say to take 10 minute breaks every 40 minutes of exercise, hydrate before, during, and after training, and avoid helmets and padding if you are in the sun. Strength and conditioning was cut down to an hour so players could avoid any headaches, dizziness, or muscle cramping.