The Importance of Keeping Sports Kids Hydrated

Ten. That’s the number of kids’ games I watched this past weekend.

Yes, I only have two children, but at any given time, they are enmeshed in at least two competitive sports. Unlike when I was a kid, sports seasons are no longer definitely set into Spring, Summer, Fall and Winter, but often run all year long in some capacity. Spring and Summer baseball blends in to Fall Ball and training starts in January.

Soccer season starts in August with indoor leagues and futsol playing throughout the Winter.

Basketball, though traditionally a Winter sport, includes a Spring, Summer and Fall team. While practices vary in both time and intensity, our ten game stint this past weekend is not unusual – or in our family- unwelcome.

They love to play. And I love to watch them play.

However, their health – both mental and physical is a priority for me.

With the pace of activity my kids (and many of yours) maintain, hydration is key. In addition to ensuring the body doesn’t overheat, water and other fluids play some important roles, including:

Cushioning joints
Preventing headaches and dizziness often associated with dehydration
Helping to convert food in to energy
Allowing the body to absorb nutrients

So, just how much fluid do your kids need? 8 to 10 – 8 oz cups of water is still the standard recommendation. More, naturally when they are exercising or playing sports. Keep in mind, the additional fluid intake during athletics is intended to prevent dehydration and allow your child to maintain optimum performance. A dehydrated child can lose coordination, energy and strength.

Replenishing fluids keeps the body from overheating.

Helpful Hydration Hints:

Drink Fluids Before Sporting Events and Exercise: 1-3 hours prior to event – 8 oz of water (more if activity will be intense for a prolonged period of time: think high school soccer game)

Drink Fluids During Sporting Events and Exercise: Experts recommend 4-8oz every 15-20 minutes

The Performance Project

Recently, I was privileged to work with Dr. James Carter, the Gatorade Sports Science Institute and IMG Academy in Bradenton, Florida to tackle the importance of hydration in young athletes, as well as the importance of carbohydrates and simple sugars (glucose/sucrose) during training sessions and competition. Check out The Performance Project – a series of videos we shot with Dr. Carter, as well as my new friend, blogger and reporter Kristen Hewitt. We tackled some of the myths commonly related to sugar and athletic performance….and we did it with the help of some high performance student athletes at IMG as well as some cool experiments (think Gatorade-fueled rockets!).

Let me know what you think.

Fun, right? We had a great time shooting and learning. Anything that gives me a better opportunity to up my sports parenting game is a good thing. Thanks for watching.