Avoid Dehydration as Fall Sports Kick Off

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CLEVELAND - Two-a-days for football are about to kick off, along with many other fall sports, like soccer, golf and cross country.

And as we all know, this time of year gets very hot, which is why it’s important to make sure your child is staying hydrated. 

“When we talk about hydration in your children, it actually starts the day before these two-a-day practices,” said Richard so, pediatrician for Cleveland Clinic Children’s. “So, the night before you want to have your kid drink a bottle of water and even the morning before you go to practice, you want to drink another one. You want to start your child, or your athlete, with a full tank -- being full hydrated.”

Dr. So said when an athlete isn’t well hydrated, their performance and decision-making abilities can suffer. 

It can also make them more vulnerable to getting hurt. 

For those unfamiliar, dehydration happens when your body is losing more fluids than it is taking in. 

Symptoms typically include thirst, dry mouth, headache, fatigue, dizziness, confusion, muscle cramps and dark-colored urine. 

If left untreated, it could lead to heat-stroke, which can be deadly. 

Dr. So said while water is essential, so are electrolytes, and those can be replenished with sports drinks. 

“We do need electrolytes if you're going to be practicing more than a couple hours or even an hour,” said Dr. So. “If you just do water, water, water, you can waterlog your child and then your sodium levels, or your electrolyte levels go low, and a waterlogged child, they can be fatigued a little bit.”

Dr. So said when your sodium levels are low, you could start to cramp. 

He advises athletes to speak up if they notice any kind of discomfort or pain and shouldn’t force themselves to keep playing.