Important Health Observations College Coaches Are Discerning Regarding Recruits

“When do you start drinking water during practice and games?”

“When I feel thirsty,” is almost always the answer I hear regardless of what sport the athlete plays. Obvious answer, right?

However, one of the quickest ways for an athlete to ruin their performance is by not hydrating properly.

The Statistics

The scary part is that looking at statistics, the majority of youth athletes are dehydrated during practices, with some studies estimating dehydration regularly affects up to 75% of athlete’s during training. As many outdoor sports seasons are set to begin in August heat, the risk of being dehydrated is even higher, as the heat causes many athletes to increase their sweat rate.

So how exactly do we know what dehydration looks like? Typically, when an athlete ‘feels’ thirsty, it means that they are already on the way to being dehydrated. Even mild dehydration can cause fatigue, headaches and muscle cramping. Being proactive about fluid intake can make a BIG impact in performance, recovery, energy levels, and mental focus as well.

Every athlete should have a fluid plan to keep properly hydrated consistently throughout the day. Every athlete will have different needs depending their size, level of activity, sweat rate, and electrolyte losses throughout the day.

According to the 2004 Dietary Reference Intake (DRI), adequate intake for water is 16 cups for boys and 12 cups for girls before considering any physical activity. Athletes who train in hot, humid conditions, who are heavy sweaters (when you see and feel a white chalky residue on the skin– this is sodium and electrolytes being lost) or exercise for 2 hours per day, could need double of the recommendations. It’s no wonder so many athletes are constantly dehydrated– even if they don’t know it.

One way to solve this is to use the ‘urine check’ method. It’s simple: the lighter colored urine is, the better hydrated. A very pale, yellow color is typically considered well hydrated, while those who have a more amber, apple juice color are likely dehydrated.

A few guidelines for hydration practices:

2-3 hours BEFORE exercise:
For every 10lbs your athlete weighs, aim to for them to consume 2oz of water. (100lb athlete will need about 20oz; while a 150lb athlete, 30oz)

DURING exercise:
If possible, hydrate with 4oz of water every 15 minutes. For most athlete’s, this is 1-2 big gulps. If it’s not plausible to take water breaks so often, then hydrating at the end of practice or a game will still have benefits. A one hour practice means they need around 16oz (about the size of a standard water bottle)

AFTER exercise:
An additional 16-20oz of fluids should be consumed within 2 hours of the end of training to top off fluids and ensure any water losses that have been lost were replaced.

Keep in mind, each athlete has different needs. While these recommendations are a good start, it isn’t a guarantee they will meet your athlete’s requirements nor should they be used if your athlete has any health conditions without first consulting their doctor or pediatrician. Individualized hydration plans based on an athlete’s unique sweat rate and water loss are a more accurate way to measure and create a hydration plan and can be conducted by a professional.

Dehydration affects many athletes, and unfortunately the method of ‘drinking when thirsty’ can often be too little, too late. By following a few simple recommendations and creating a hydration plan, you can perform without worry! Download your FREE hydration status assessment and Sports Drink vs Fluid guides here.