By: Angel Steiner
The summer has passed its hump and is entering the dog days of summer, with lots of sunshine and heavy humidity. This always coincides with opening of high school fall sports practice which is happening now for the various sports in the area — golf, tennis, volleyball, cross country and football to name a few. Sports conditioning + hot weather = dehydration. The intense training high school athletes undergo this time of year makes them at-risk for conditions like dehydration, heat exhaustion and even raises risks of concussion when injured.
Dehydration can be identified by the following symptoms: thirst, less urination, dry skin, fatigue, light-headedness, dizziness, confusion, dry mouth and mucous membranes, and increased heart rate and breathing. A major concern with student athletes training outdoors in the sun is the depletion of important body salts like sodium and potassium. This is usually why Gatorade and other such drinks is requested to be stocked at practices and games.
Dehydration has been named as the cause of several sports related injuries such as sprained and strained ligaments and tendons, fractures, heat exhaustion, and concussions.
It is important for athletes and coaches that they remember these guidelines to avoid dehydration during sports season:
Drink before you go outdoors to exercise, drink during exercise, and drink again after exercise with Gatorade and fruit.
John Hopkins Medicine recommends for athletes to acclimate their bodies to the temperature outside gradually to decrease the likelihood of a heat-related illness or injury. Take it slowly the first few days of practice with shorter duration, with interim breaks in heat exposure. This is especially important for athletes who are overweight as their bodies have more mass to contend with, making their hearts work harder.
Coaches and parents – think about this:
That practice went just awful and none of the kids were listening to instructions. You tell them to run here and they run the opposite way; you wanted this many reps of the drill and they stopped midway. Did you know? There is a Harvard study out that states that people who are subject to prevalent heat and humidity without relief of hydration or air conditioning actually have diminished mental thought processes? After a lift of relief from the heat the person regains mental clarity rather quickly. So when someone says, “It is so hot, I just can’t think!” They may be speaking the truth.
Grab a potassium-rich banana when you feel a muscle cramp right? Well, not necessarily. A majority of the time a muscle cramp occurs during exercise due to of a lack of sodium, not potassium, from sweating. Slow down, take a break and chug some Gatorade. Eat a banana too, good fats, good sugars.
Keeping our high school athletes healthy and safe from illness and injury should be the number one priority among coaches and parents overseeing these athletes. By educating them and keeping them aware of their body processes is a way to be proactive in preventing injuries due to dehydration that could inhibit them from seasonal play.
