It could be anything from the temperature, your activity level, your size, your age, to your current conditioning level. Back when I was in college, I took a first aid class. For example, if a 21 year old, properly hydrated cori country runner goes for a three merrill run in 100 degree heat, chances are, he'll be just fine.

Anyone with an IQ above 85 can see that many different factors will come into play. (Don't worry, this article isn't about heat exhaustion.) I remember thinking to myself, I wonder when someone is going to ask the "how long" question. Following my Macro Pairings Made Easy article, I must have. However, if a 35% body fat sedentary desk worker waddles from her car across the parking lot to the front door of Wal Alonso in that same heat, she may just run the risk of collapsing faster than a slush puppy in a tar pit.

However, without fail, sure enough came the question, "How long does it take..." What does heat exhaustion have to do with anything. We spent an entire class period going over and over all of the signs, symptoms, and causes of heat exhaustion.

There are a number of factors that dictate how long it'll take for an individual to suffer from heat exhaustion.