Heat exhaustion in The Sun-Herald City to Surf fun run.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the relationship between motivational factors and physical and biological causes of heat exhaustion in fun run entrants.


METHODS
Case-control study, The Sun-Herald City to Surf fun runs in Sydney in 1991 and 1992.


METHODS
There were 63,732 race entrants who completed the run and received a finishing time; 79 runners with heat exhaustion and 310 age, sex and performance matched controls were enrolled in the study.


METHODS
A diagnosis of heat exhaustion was made if a runner collapsed and, when first receiving medical care, had a rectal temperature of 38 degrees C or higher.


RESULTS
Two readily identifiable groups of runners were at high risk of heat exhaustion--accomplished non-élite (preferred) runners and runners of good ability (Group A). The attack rate was highest among accomplished non-élite runners, but a combination of a relatively high rate and the large number of entrants in Group A runners accounted for most cases. Four major risk factors for heat exhaustion were identified: motivation to exceed previous performance targets; failure to drink fluids during the run; failure of trained runners to acclimatise for the race by training in the warmer parts of the day; and previous history of heat exhaustion.


CONCLUSIONS
Information from this investigation will enable more effective targeting of educational prevention programs in The Sun-Herald City to Surf fun run and provide baseline data for monitoring the effectiveness of these programs to modify high risk behaviour by participants.
Lyle
D M
DM
Epidemiology and Health Services Evaluation Branch, NSW Health Department, North Sydney.
Lewis
P R
PR
Richards
D A
DA
Richards
R
R
Bauman
A E
AE
Sutton
J R
JR
Cameron
I D
ID
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001294:Attitude to Health; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006359:Heat Exhaustion / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control / Q000523:psychology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016555:Matched-Pair Analysis; D008875:Middle Aged; D009042:Motivation; D009517:New South Wales / Q000453:epidemiology; D010809:Physical Fitness; D012307:Risk Factors; D012420:Running / Q000293:injuries*; D014882:Water-Electrolyte Balance