by Leslie Bonci
As summer winds down, beach bags are traded in for backpacks, and sports practices and games begin to take over family schedules. While the fall season may bring cooler temperatures (in some cities), heat exhaustion and dehydration are still a threat even as the leaves begin to fall.
In the intensity of a tough practice or game, teen athletes don’t realize the amount of sweat they lose, and that puts them head to head with a tough competitor – dehydration.
Gatorade’s Beat the Heat campaign aims to generate hydration and heat-illness awareness during the school year and beyond. Hydration is critical to athletic performance. It’s common for some athletes to lose between 5-8 pounds of sweat during a game, which is comparable to a 2-3 liter bottle, so it’s easy for athletes to become dehydrated if they don’t drink enough to replace what is lost in sweat.
To help keep athletes safe and performing at their best during the hot summer months, make sure they are educated about heat-related illness and the importance of proper hydration and nutrition before, during and after practices and games:
- Prevent – Know how to avoid heat illness, identify the warning signs and treat the symptoms
- Prepare – Take the time to acclimate to the heat and hydrate properly BEFORE you get to practice
- Proper Hydration –Sports drinks like G Series 02 Perform give athletes fluid to rehydrate, carbohydrates to fuel muscles and electrolytes, like sodium, to help maintain fluid balance and help prevent heat-related cramping and illness. Hydrate before, during and after practice and games by drinking to match or replace sweat loss.
- Plan – Have a plan to contact medical professionals in case of an emergency
With a winning game plan to help your young athlete drink the right fluids at the right times, you’re helping them become the best athlete they can be.
For more resources on sports nutrition for young athletes, visit www.Gatorade.com/moms.
Leslie J. Bonci, MPH, RD, CSSD, LDN, is the director of sports medicine nutrition for the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery and the Center for Sports Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC). She serves as the sports dietitian for the University of Pittsburgh’s department of athletics, and is a nutrition consultant for the Pittsburgh Steelers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Pittsburgh Pirates, Pittsburgh Passion, WNBA, and the Milwaukee Brewers. In addition, she is has a longstanding relationship with Gatorade and regularly serves as a spokesperson for the brand.
