The Importance of Proper Youth Sports Hydration

The Signs of Dehydration and Ways to Prevent It

Summer time is here, which means it’s time to whip your team into shape for the fall sports season. Although coaches are eager to train their players and get them into excellent condition, playing during the summer comes with potential health risks for your players. Long practices and high heat are a dangerous concoction for young athletes and can lead to dehydration. If your athletes are feeling thirsty, it means your athletes are already dehydrated. In this blog, we’ll outline the signs of dehydration, explain the youth sports hydration guidelines, and give you our suggestions for the best equipment to keep your team hydrated and healthy.

Signs of Dehydration

• Headache or dizziness- These could be signs of concussion Read our blog The Danger of Concussions in Youth Sports to learn more about the signs of concussions
• Thirst
• Tiredness or Lack of Energy
• Weakness
• Muscle Cramps
• Grumpiness
• Nausea
• Difficulty Concentrating
• Dry Skin (Person Stops Sweating)

Youth Sports Hydration Guidelines

Before Activity
On an average day, athletes should drink 16 to 24 fluid ounces of water before activity. On a warm or humid day, athletes should increase their water intake and have an addition 16 ounces of water an hour before activity.
During Activity
It is recommended that athletes consume 3 to 6 ounces of water or sports drink every 15 minutes, or 32 ounces an hour.
Post Activity Guidelines
After your team completes their practice or game, have your players weight themselves. They should drink a minimum of 16 to 20 ounce of fluid for every pound of weight lost. If your team participated in training sessions or games longer than an hour, it is important to give your athletes a sports drink, like a Gatorade or Powerade. Sports drinks will restore energy to athletes and provide them with electrolytes that the body loses through sweating.

Tools to Keep Your Team Hydrated and Healthy

• Portable Water Chiller- Just add ice to the 10 gallon cooler, attach water hose for crisp cool water. The Portable Water Chiller has a copper coil instead the take that cools the drinking water as it passes form the portable water hose, not included (link because not included). It has 6 retractable coil drinking hoses with quick shut-off nozzles and includes a cart for easy transportation on and off the field.

• Mister Portable Cooling System- This portable cooling system is perfect to cool down your team during those hot summer days. It is perfect for travel and fits in the back of a school bus, trailer, truck, or van. It is easy to operate and only requires a 115V electrical outlet. It comes with a powder steel coated from, a 20 gallon tank, a 24” fan, and cools from up to 75 feet away!

• markers, Inc. has a large range of water cooling stations in all shapes and sizes. To see the whole range of products, visit http://www.markersinc.com/football-water-cooling-stations.aspx

References

Heat Injury and Heat Exhaustion

Heat, Dehydration and Injury Risk

1. Bar-Or O. Temperature regulation during exercise in children and adolescents. In: Gisolfi CV, Lamb DR, eds. Perspectives in exercise science and sports medicine: youth, exercise, and sport. Carmel, IN: Benchmark Press, 1989:335
2. American Academy of Pediatrics. Climatic heat stress and the exercising child and adolescent. Pediatrics 2000;106:158
3. American College of Sports Medicine, Sawka MN, Burke LM, Eichner ER, Maughan RJ, Montain SJ, Stachenfeld NS. American College of Sports Medicine position stand. Exercise and fluid replacement. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2007 Feb;39(2):377-90. Review.