Oct 30, 2019 / Sports Medicine
Is water enough for your young athlete today?
Water is the “go-to” drink to keep young and growing athletes hydrated for optimal performance. However, sometimes water just isn’t enough to replace electrolytes lost through sweating.
If your young athlete answers yes to any of these questions, he or she may need more than water:
The sodium in these items helps to keep water in the body, replaces lost electrolytes and also stimulates thirst. Thirst encourages the athlete to drink more fluids than he or she may do naturally.
Here are some suggestions to have on hand:
For more information, download our Hydration PDF (English / Spanish).
Learn more about pediatric sports medicine.
If your young athlete answers yes to any of these questions, he or she may need more than water:
- Are you going to be playing in a high–intensity activity, lasting longer than an hour?
- Do you feel salt on your skin after activity?
- Do you see salt on your clothes after activity?
- Are you going to be participating in back–to–back events or tournaments?
- Are you going to be playing in hot or humid conditions, either indoors or outdoors?
- Do you have a hard time drinking extra fluids on practice and game days?
The sodium in these items helps to keep water in the body, replaces lost electrolytes and also stimulates thirst. Thirst encourages the athlete to drink more fluids than he or she may do naturally.
Here are some suggestions to have on hand:
- Sports drinks
- Broth-based soups
- Vegetable or tomato juice
- Pretzels or salty crackers
- Pickles
- String cheese
- Yogurt
For more information, download our Hydration PDF (English / Spanish).
Learn more about pediatric sports medicine.
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