Heatstroke—Predictable, preventable, treatable

National collegiate athletic association strength and conditioning coaches' knowledge and practices regarding prevention and recognition of exertional heat stroke

The purpose of this study was to assess and determine content knowledge of National Collegiate Athletic Association Strength and Conditioning Coaches (SCCs) regarding prevention and recognition of exertional heat stroke (EHS) and to determine whether the type of professional certification is an indicator of enhanced content knowledge. A questionnaire was e-mailed to 1305 SCCs and was used to assess SCC's EHS knowledge in the areas of extrinsic risk factors (ERF), intrinsic risk factors (IRF), recognition of EHS (R), and general training safety knowledge (TSK). The 319 SCC participants who responded were separated into 4 groups based on certification: Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialists (CSCS) (116), Strength and Conditioning Coach Certification (SCCC) (46), combined CSCS/SCCC (62), or no certification (NC) (95). Only 2.2% of the total coaches surveyed scored ≥90% on the total score, whereas 47% earned a score ≤59%. When comparing across certifications, NC scored significantly lower (p ≤ 0.05) on total score, and the IRF and TSK constructs than CSCS, SCCC, and CSCS/SCCC. CSCS/SCCC coaches performed significantly better on the total score than SCCC (p = 0.047), whereas a trend toward a higher score (p = 0.085) was seen in CSCS compared with SCCC. CSCS coaches and the combined CSCS/SCCC certifications scored significantly higher (p < 0.000) than NC in the ERF and R constructs. In conclusion, SCCs seemed to lack essential knowledge to prevent or recognize EHS in each of the factors assessed. It is recommended that consideration be given to include EHS prevention and recognition competencies as part of the professional preparation and certification requirements for SCCs.