Hydration Safety Center

MomsTeam hydration expert, Dr. Susan Yeargin, debunks five common heat illness and hydration myths about children exercising in the heat.

Surprising, as it may seem, the most important part of an athlete's diet isn't what they eat, it is what and how much they drink. Drinking fluids before, during and after sports is especially important for preadolescent children because they have special fluid needs compared to adults, or even teenagers. As a parent or coach, you are responsible for taking precautions to prevent heat illnesses in exercising children and making sure they drink enough fluids.

Sweating results in the loss of both electrolytes (particularly sodium) and water. Orange juice, moderate salting of food in the diet, and sports drinks help replace electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and chloride lost during sports. 

Hyponatremia is a relatively rare form of heat illness in which sodium levels in the blood become dangerously low due to excessive water consumption.  It usually occurs in endurance and ultra-endurance events lasting four hours or longer. While children do not ordinarily participate in these kinds of activities, hyponatremia is so dangerous that it something sports parents should know about.

According to the NCAA, over 100 football players died from heat stroke between 1960 and 2001. An August 2008 study by researchers at University of Florida says there are eight factors that make football players are especially vulnerable to heat illness.