All athletes have to worry about overheating in warm weather, but roller hockey players are especially vulnerable because of heat build-up under all that equipment.

Not only do you play better when you�re comfortable, there are also medical reasons for staying cool. Dr. Gerard �Rusty� Varlotta, team physician for the NJ Rockin Rollers, had a player two seasons ago with a severe case of heat prostration.

�He stiffened up after the game and couldn�t move because his muscles were dehydrated,� Dr. Varlotta said. �We treated him with cool intravenous fluids, but it was very serious. Heat prostration can result in kidney damage.�

Dr. Varlotta lists these warning signs of overheating: excessive sweating, muscle cramps persisting longer than 24 hours, losing the ability to sweat, headaches, dry mouth, an inability to produce urine or urine that is discolored (from muscle breakdown).

�They�re all signs that you�re overextending yourself and need to reduce the drying effect on your muscles,� he said. His advice for correcting these problems is straightforward: �Space out your exercise more and address your fluid intake.�

He recommends these easy safeguards for keeping off the disabled list:

Take short shifts. �Our players have shorter shifts because we don�t have the cooling effect of the ice. It�s why roller hockey games and practices are shorter than with ice hockey.�

Coaches take note, too: Players need down time during practices, so mix up their drills. Don�t rely on the usual �stretch and bust their horns� in ice hockey practices.

Use ice packs to cool down sore muscles after the game. Dr. Varlotta warns that any player with persistent sore muscles, especially lasting longer than 24 hours, needs to review his fluid intake and possibly his mineral balance through vitamin and mineral supplements. When in doubt, consult your doctor.

Wear equipment with porous coverings. �Regular hockey gear may be too confining.� In the same vein, he suggests wearing T-shirts underneath equipment. �They absorb moisture and when they�re wet, they have a cooling effect.�

Drink lots of fluids. �My motto is fluids, fluids, fluids. You simply can�t drink enough. Not just during the game, but before as well, what we call pre-hydration.� Dr. Varlotta suggests Gatorade or other formulations with extra minerals and salt. �Increasing fluids gives your body a greater ability to keep the muscles soft and supple.�

Avoid all alcohol. �Most players hate it when I say that, but it�s definitely out. Not even beer. One beer can have a profound drying effect, making muscle pulls more likely.� The good doctor is not above putting his ideas into action either. �After a game, if I see our players in the locker room feasting on pizza and beers, I always offer to drink them instead.�