Tragic Reminder about the importance of Hydrating Properly
With Football practice being in full swing, many of our athletes across the country are dealing with severe heat conditions. Some have never played sports before, may be overweight, and most of them are not properly eating or hydrating. One of my friends posted a very disheartening article on facebook,
Douglas County High School football player dies after drinking too much fluid
and i felt compelled to write about it. Primarily out of fear that athletes would misunderstand the reasons for the death and not properly hydrate to avoid this happening to them.
We often hear about the dangers of dehydration, however, a less heard of condition called hyponatremia or OVER-hydration does pop its ugly head up from time to time.
Over-hydration (as it pertains to this blog) is usually more prevalent with endurance athletes. Ironically, the athlete becomes most susceptible to this condition when they are dehydrated and begin too crave LOTS of water.
In simple terms here is what can cause this craving for the athlete..
the body becomes dehydrated from a lot activity and sweating, As a result, their body sends a signal to their brain that says "HEY I'M REALLY THIRSTY!"
If an athlete is allowed to consume too much water, it will flush out all of the healthy salt levels in their bodies, which is just as bad as having salt levels that are too high.
Here is a recommended guideline to avoid both of these very serious conditions:
Start hydrating 4 hours before activity by drinking 2-3 cups (16-24 ounces) of fluid.
If signs of dehydration are present despite this (i.e. not needing to urinate or urine is not a pale amber to clear appearance), drink another 1-2 cups (8-16 ounces) 2 hours before activity.
Drink 6-12 ounces every 15-20 minutes of activity.
After activity, drink 3 cups (24 ounces) for each pound lost.
If you are what we refer to as a "Salty Sweater" (noted by salt residue on their skin or clothes after sweating), we recommend that you consume some sort of sports drink (Gatorade, Powerade, etc...) immediately following practice.
It is not necessary to drink sports drink before practice, as that can actually cause dehydration,.In addition, it is not normally recommended to drink it during any training session.
The exception to this would be any training that is strenuous, and greater than 2-3 hrs, I.e marathon/Triatholon training sessions.
I usually tell my players to sip water for no longer than 10 secs every 15-20 minutes during practice. If I believe hydration is an issue, I will alter that athletes training schedule and begin appropriate treatment to ensure their safety. and you can do that with proper hydration at least 24 hrs PRIOR to strenuous exercise.
I also tell my athletes to avoid any caffeinated or sugar filled beverages/ snacks as this only adds to the problem and causes sluggish performance.
over hydration for the athlete is rare
It is more prevalent in salty sweaters.
proper hydration begins at least 2-3 hrs before practice
Consumption of water during practice is more about cooling your body down
Sports drinks are designed specifically to be used after practice.
Bottom line proper hydration is paramount, and is really can be the difference between Life and death. However, when done correctly an athlete is able to perform at their best.
If you have any questions just email me at:
or you can come visit me at my shop located inside Legendary Fitness & Performance Training
Twitter: reelsportsvp @trainlikealegen
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more helpful links about the importance of hydration
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/cs/nutrition/a/aa011599a.htm
How much water should you drink
Fluid Replacement for Athletes
