• July 1, 2026 | 9:00 AM - 9:55 AM
• PCC,Hall B (or C)

Hot and Bothered: Athlete Health and Equity in a Changing Climate

Climate change is projected to increase the frequency, intensity, and duration of extreme weather events, including heat, precipitation, and drought. These changes pose significant risks to athlete health. While Athletic Trainers (ATs) may be aware of climate change broadly, many are not equipped with the knowledge or competency to apply climate-related health evidence to clinical decision-making. This gap between evidence and practice includes insufficient understanding of how extreme weather and environmental changes (e.g., air quality, urban heat islands, flooding) increase risk for exertional heat illness and cardiopulmonary events. Closing this gap is essential to ensure ATs can proactively adapt activity modifications and environmental monitoring to protect athlete safety.

Learning Objectives - Identify threats to athlete health that are related to climate change.
- Identify tools that can be used to reduce the risk of environment-related health conditions in athletes.
- Describe changes that can be made to policies and procedures to reduce athlete risk of environment-related health conditions in athletes.

Keywords: Exertional heat illness; Policies and procedures; Environmental monitoring