Doctors caution against exercise in triple-digit heat as temperatures soar in Salt Lake City

SALT LAKE CITY — Amid extreme heat that set records Thursday, doctors were cautioning that symptoms of heat-related illnesses and heat stroke could set in within a matter of minutes.

"When it's as hot as it is right now, these are the kind of temperatures that can affect anyone really quickly," said Dr. Tom Nelson, emergency department medical director for Intermountain Medical Center.

Nelson said initial symptoms include dehydration and people generally not feeling well before more serious complications start to develop.

"That can progress into something called rhabdomyolysis, or muscle breakdown," Nelson said. "Eventually, it can start to affect your organs, kidneys, liver, heart — everything can be affected by these incredibly high temperatures. And if you exert to a point of real danger, it's called heat stroke, which can be a life-threatening condition."

According to Nelson, people should avoid exercising in the heat of the day, and if they do have to be outside they should stay as hydrated as possible while seeking shade as often as possible.

'Heat affects everybody'

Just because someone is fit and hydrated doesn't mean they're immune to the effects of the heat, Nelson said.

"It's really easy to assume when you're young and healthy that the heat won't negatively affect you but that's absolutely not true," Nelson said. "The heat affects everybody."

Despite the triple-digit temperatures, hikers still attempted to reach their outdoor destinations on the east bench.

One man near the Mount Olympus Trail told KSL-TV he had gone to the top of the mountain Thursday afternoon and was not feeling well after underestimating the toll the hike would take.

Mari Aguilar said she had tried hiking around 9 a.m. However, it was too hot then.

"We had to go and we literally just came back again because we're like, 'Let's give it another try. It'll cool down,'" Aguilar told KSL-TV.

Even after 6 p.m., she said it still felt too hot.

"You can't even put the window down, you know," she said. "Because it's like so hot. It's hot air. Nobody likes hot air."

Austin Nguyen and Iris Tang were part of a group that tried to hike above Bell Canyon Reservoir after 6 p.m. and also found the conditions to be simply too much.

"We were hoping to dip in the waterfall, but it was too hot, so we didn't make it all the way up there," Nguyen said.

Tang said the group was experienced and came prepared with hydro flasks and food.

"Yeah, it was so hot we just kind of got tired and just ate chicken," she said.

Related topics