Fluid Guidelines

A child's sports hydration status can be affected, positively or negatively, by beverage type, flavor, container type, accessibility, and parental and coach attitudes about hydration.

Drinking fluids before, during and after sports reduces risk of dehydration and heat illnesses.

Energy drinks have become increasingly popular among adolescents and young adults in recent years. In 2006, nearly 500 new brands were introduced to the marketplace, and over 7 million adolescents reported that they had consumed an energy drink.  Energy drinks are particularly popular among young athletes, who see their consumption as a quick and easy way to maximize athletic and academic performance.  But is the use of energy drinks by young athletes healthy? An expert panel says no.

Sports drinks work better than water at hydrating children.

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. 

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.

To prevent dehydration, or, worse yet, heat illness, you should encourage your child to drink cool fluids, preferably sports drinks, before, during, and after physical activity.

You've heard the old saying that the human body needs 8 glasses of water a day to stay healthy. Did you know that was a myth? In fact, it is one of the biggest pop medical myths of our time. No one is quite sure where it came from and no scientist to date has been able to prove that 8 is the number.