Many youth push through sports and fitness activities to the point of exhaustion. This can help cardiovascular fitness, while developing competitive spirit and a child’s enjoyment of the game but without attention to hydration, youth athletes can suffer serious consequences, especially when exercising in the heat.
Kids need to push fluids during physical activity. Kids can be more vulnerable than adults when it comes to regulating body temperature and staying ahead of thirst. So kids drink up!
What promotes optimal hydration for youth athletes: sports drinks, energy drinks or water? Here is an explanation of researched conclusions and recommendations:
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1. Kids do not have a less-effective ability to regulate body temperature and tolerate high levels of physical exertion when exercising in the heat as long as they maintain appropriate hydration.
2. Most kids can safely participate in outdoor sports in a variety of climates, including warm to hot conditions. However, in addition to ensuring adequate hydration, coaches, parents and other supervising adults need to ensure the children are allowed sufficient recovery; that they wear appropriate clothing, and protective equipment (when necessary); and supervision to monitor the child’s fitness level.
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3. Proper hydration is essential for optimal health and athletic performance. In the vast majority of cases, plain water should be the primary source of hydration for children and adolescents. Thirst is generally a good guide in determining intake. A more precise method of monitoring hydration status is to weigh the child both before and after exercise. The goal is to avoid weight loss following a single bout of activity.
4. Sports drinks—beverages containing carbohydrates, protein, or electrolytes—play a role in ensuring good hydration and nutrition for optimal performance in combination with water during intense and prolonged exercise lasting more than one hour. However, routine consumption of sports drinks for the average child engaged in routine physical activity, or in place of water in the lunchroom or at home, can lead to excessive caloric intake and increased risk of overweight and dental problems. This has become an especially widespread problem as sports drinks have replaced soda in school vending machines and cafeterias.
5. Energy drinks—beverages containing caffeine in addition to carbohydrate—should be avoided. While caffeine may provide performance benefits for adults, its effects have not been well studied in children. Parents, coaches and schools should not offer or allow children to drink energy drinks. Energy drinks pose potential health risks primarily because of their stimulant (caffeine) content and are never safe for children.
Large Gatorade coolers and various other sports drinks have become hallmarks at youth sporting events and in many places have displaced water as the go-to drink. While sports drinks may be necessary for certain athletes performing high-intensity and prolonged exercise, water remains the ideal beverage to optimize hydration, control body temperature, and set the stage for a successful physical pursuit for active youth.
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