As a parent, it’s important to do everything you can to help your child succeed in their chosen sport. That includes making sure they’re properly hydrated. Dehydration can lead to serious medical problems, so it’s essential to be vigilant before, during, and after a game or event. Here are some tips to help you ensure your child is getting enough fluids before, during, and after games or practices. With these hydration strategies for athletes, your child is set to have a better sporting experience.
Tip 1: Teach Kids About Hydration
Arm your kids with the knowledge they need! First, teach them early on about the importance of hydration using a vocabulary that is age appropriate but still emphasizes the importance of the topic. Then, repeat and repeat in affirming and positive ways until they get it.
Many kids don’t realize hydration’s importance until they start experiencing cramps or other dehydration-related problems. By teaching them early on about the importance of proper hydration, you can help them avoid these problems later on down the road. According to research, encouraging small and manageable behavior changes for better health is best. Take it slow but make it consistent.
Tip 2: Spotting the Signs and Self-Hydrating
Teach your child athlete how to spot warning signs of dehydration and how to properly hydrate themselves. Building on our first tip, we encourage you to take it a step further by teaching your children to spot the early warning signs of dehydration in their own bodies, as it’s essential for their safety. These include feeling thirsty, having a dry mouth, feeling tired, having dark-colored urine, and feeling dizzy or lightheaded. Knowing when you should drink electrolytes is perhaps even more critical than fluids in general, so don’t leave that out of the lesson.
If your child experiences any of these symptoms, it’s essential for them to know when they need to stop what they’re doing and drink fluids immediately — no matter how much fun they’re having. Water is an excellent option for rehydration, as are other healthy electrolyte-replenishing beverages. However, ensure it doesn’t contain tons of sugar or caffeine, which can contribute to dehydration.
Tip 3: Hydrate Before, During, and After
One of the best ways to ensure your child is properly hydrated is to have them drink enough fluids before, during, and after their games or practices. Depending on the activity level and weather conditions, their bodies will require different amounts of liquids. Here are some guidelines for how much fluids your young athlete should be drinking, according to the experts:
- 88-pound child – 5 oz. for every 20 minutes of activity.
- 132-pound adolescent – 9 oz. for every 20 minutes of activity.
Tip 4: Be Extra Vigilant During Heatwaves and Humid Weather
Be especially careful to hydrate when it’s hot or humid outside. It’s essential to stay hydrated in hot or humid conditions because when it’s hot outside, our bodies sweat more in an attempt to keep cool. If we don’t replace the fluids we’ve lost through sweating, we can become dehydrated quickly. The same is true in humid conditions. Even if we’re not sweating, the air itself can cause us to lose fluids through evaporation. So if your child is playing sports in hot or humid weather, make sure they take frequent breaks to drink fluids.
Tip 5: Supplement Water with Electrolytes
Be mindful of your young athlete’s electrolyte levels, especially when playing in hot weather. In addition to water, your child needs to replenish their electrolytes when they’re sweating heavily. Electrolytes such as sodium and potassium help regulate fluid balance in the body, so it’s vital to ensure they’re getting enough of them when they’re sweating profusely. If they’re playing in hot weather conditions or playing a vigorous and fast-paced sport like soccer, you may want to give them an electrolyte-replenishing drink either during their game at break time or after their game or practice.
Tip 6: Help Them Make Good Choices
It’s important to help your aspiring young athlete find a good sports drink that will keep them hydrated without loading them up with sugar. There are many different sports drinks on the market these days, and it can be hard to know which one is right for your child. You want something that will keep them hydrated without loading them up with sugar or other unnecessary ingredients. A good rule of thumb is to choose a sports drink that contains between five and eight percent carbohydrate calories. This will help replenish glycogen stores without overloading their system with sugar. Once you’ve found a few options that meet this criterion, let your child choose their favorite flavor so they’re more likely to actually drink it.
Tip 7: Always Have a Backup Plan
It’s a good idea to carry electrolyte powder at all times for a convenient solution. If your athlete is young and you attend their games with them, you can help them stay hydrated by carrying a small container of electrolyte powder with you. That way, if they forget their water bottle or they run out of fluids, you can mix up a quick and convenient solution to keep them going until they can get more fluids. If they’re a little older or attending games with friends and their parents, then pack electrolyte powders in their kit so they can mix up their own fluids when needed. Don’t assume they’ll know how to do this, though, and do a test run or two before sending them out to do it on their own. Giving them a thermos of cold water or a couple of water bottles is also a good idea. This way, they always have what they need to mix up their drink and don’t have to default to the sugary alternatives on hand.
Final Thoughts on Youth Athlete Hydration
Proper hydration is key for all athletes, but it’s especially important for young athletes whose bodies are still developing. But there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Every young athlete is different and will require different amounts of fluids, depending on their activity level, age, weight, and weather conditions. As a parent, you must be aware of these factors and ensure you’re providing your child with the fluids they need to stay properly hydrated.
If you have any questions or concerns about your child’s hydration levels, be sure to talk to their doctor or a registered dietitian. They can help you develop a plan to make sure your child gets the fluids they need to stay healthy and perform their best.
Do you have any other tips for keeping youth athletes hydrated? Share them with us in the comments below!