Recommendations for Teaching Physical Education, Training and Competing Sports in Hot Ambient Condition

Abstract

Physical education can form a valuable part of children’s and young player’s experiences of growing up, fitting into society and becoming responsible citizens. It provides valuable opportunities for learning about responsibility, democratic principles and citizenship through the ways in which it provides real experiences engaging the whole person physically, emotionally, socially and intellectually. In addition, children and young players need to make moral judgments about right and wrong and learn to get along with others, deal with success and failure, and experience a large range of learning arising from real experience.

Thailand is located on the tropical climate area, therefore, teaching physical education, training and sport competition are inevitably proceeded in that ambient condition.  While exercising or playing sport in hot weather, body will physiologically respond and adapt its cardiovascular system by ventilating heat and sweating.  These physiological strains may lead to dehydration, decreasing of plasma volume, failure of cardiovascular system and increasing of body core temperature, as well as bringing about the heat-related illnesses, such as heat edema, heat rash or prickly heat, dehydration, fever or pyrexia, heat syncope or fainting, heat cramp, heat exhaustion and heat stroke.

          Schools, educational institutions and related stakeholders which the obligation to conduct physical education, sport training and competition must focus and prepare for these dangers and health-affected issue by establishing related-measures and proper emergency action plan for participants’ safety, provision of safe facilities, physical activity time modification, rest and fluid break scheduling, environmental assessment, participants’ health information and heat tolerance factors education, sport competition measures establishment for instance.