How to Keep a Child Hydrated During Sporting Events

Adolescents and children sweat more than we realize, and as a result they lose a significant amount of body fluid, which contains sodium and potassium. This fluid needs to be replaced to prevent dehydration or more serious heat stroke.

Steps

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    Ensure that the adolescent or child drinks 16 to 20 oz of water 30 minutes to an hour before an event.
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    Ensure adequate hydration. During the event, a child or adolescent needs to drink (2) 8 oz cups of water every 30 minutes. This should be cool water to replace sodium and potassium lost during the activity.
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    Get the child or adolescent to drink an additional 10-15 oz of cool water after the event.

Tips

  • Dehydration can cause serious problems and a lot of us adults don't stop to think how it can affect our children.
  • Don't forget the cool water!
  • Energy drinks like Gatorade is a high endurance drink that is great to use during high humidity.

Warnings

  • Soda, "bug juice", Gatorade, and other sugary or caffeinated drinks dehydrate you faster and can act as "diuretics" which means you lose even more liquid than normal.
  • Drinking too much water over too short a period of time can lead to electrolyte and sodium imbalances, which can be fatal (see: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hyperhydration).
  • During the athletic event, watch out for signs of dehydration:
    • muscle cramping
    • lightheadedness or dizziness
    • rapid heart rate

Article Info

Categories: Sports and Fitness