Ep. 109 How Wet Bulb Globe Temperature Affects Athletes with Dr. Irvin Sulapas

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. --- Get the BackTable apphttps://www.backtable.com/app --- Timestamps 00:00 - Introduction 04:12 - Defining Heat Stress and Its Risks08:26 - Cooling Strategies in Sports and Mitigating Risk 17:11 - Wet Bulb Globe Temperature Explained22:37 - Collaborating with Coaches and Trainers26:02 - Identifying High Risk Athletes30:57 - Heat Acclimatization Protocols33:17 - Physical Exam for Heat Illness39:12 - When to Activate EAPs and Call EMS47:02 - Return-to-Play Guidelines49:45 - Debunking Heat Illness Myths54:11 - The Future of Heat Safety57:13 - Key Takeaways and Wrap-Up --- 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. --- Resources Dr. Irvin Sulapashttps://www.houstonmethodist.org/doctor/irvin-sulapas/ --- BackTable Bone & Sports is the go-to podcast for orthopedic surgeons, sports medicine docs, pain specialists, and MSK radiologists. Download the free BackTable app to get early access to new episodes, cases, and courses curated by physicians in your specialty. ► https://www.backtable.com/app