By The Associated Press

Blistering heat, drenching humidity and ultra-physical work. Hardly ideal conditions.

Yet that, in a nutshell, is what an NFL training camp is all about.

As temperatures soar into triple digits, everyone from trainers and doctors to coaches and players will be more aware than ever how to deal with the physical and mental challenges of camp. The collective bargaining agreement ensured there would be even more protection for players, and this is the first full training camp since that deal was reached last year.

“A big part of the negotiations, and appropriately so, was devoted to player safety,” says Ray Anderson, the NFL’s executive vice-president of football operations. “Both parties came to agree on good guidelines for how our players can get optimum protection.”

Those guidelines are sure to be tested from coast to coast.

The CBA that ended the lockout last August eliminated two-a-day contact practices. All second workouts during training camp must be walkthroughs: no helmets, with plays executed at a walking pace.

Practice sessions are limited to four hours in total per day, with none lasting longer than three hours of on-field activity. At least a three-hour break is required between sessions, and the walkthrough can come first or second during a day.

There also is no contact permitted and no pads worn during the second and third days of camp as players get into what can be a long — and dangerous — grind.”

Read the full article: FEARS: HEAT EXHAUSTION, CONCUSSIONS, FATIGUE (SportsNet.ca)