Episode # 109 • 11 Aug 2026
How Wet Bulb Globe Temperature Affects Athletes
What’s your game plan when heat illness strikes on the field? On this episode of BackTable Bone & Sports, Dr. Larry Balle welcomes sports medicine physician Dr. Irvin Sulapas to discuss how clinicians and athletic trainers can use wet bulb globe temperature (WBGT) and other tools to improve athlete safety. They highlight best practices for communication with coaches, modifying training protocols, and recognizing the full spectrum of heat-related illness from heat rash to syncope and exertional heat stroke.
Timestamps
00:00 - Introduction
04:12 - Defining Heat Stress and Its Risks
08:26 - Cooling Strategies in Sports and Mitigating Risk
17:11 - Wet Bulb Globe Temperature Explained
22:37 - Collaborating with Coaches and Trainers
26:02 - Identifying High Risk Athletes
30:57 - Heat Acclimatization Protocols
33:17 - Physical Exam for Heat Illness
39:12 - When to Activate EAPs and Call EMS
47:02 - Return-to-Play Guidelines
49:45 - Debunking Heat Illness Myths
54:11 - The Future of Heat Safety
57:13 - Key Takeaways and Wrap-Up
Resources
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More about this episode
The discussion covers risk stratification, early interventions like cold-water immersion and tarp-assisted cooling oscillators, and practical protocols for emergency response. Dr. Sulapas and Dr. Balle also address key physical exam findings, when to activate emergency action plans, and guidelines for returning to play after heat illness. They debunk common heat myths and look at future directions for improving heat safety in sports medicine.
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