Sports Hydration & Nutrition for Student Athletes - Part 1, Hydration
- Denise Scott
- Sep 10
- 2 min read
Keeping your child healthy and well-hydrated helps to optimize sports performance. They need adequate calories for their given sport and constant hydration, preferably with non-sugary beverages - water, water, water.
Teenage soccer player hydrating with water - the best hydrator for athletes.
This article will give guidelines to ensure optimum hydration for sports and calorie guidelines. Next week's article focuses on appropriate nutrition for their growing bodies and ensure they get the necessary nutrients. I will also give ideas for healthful pre- and post-workout snacks. Read on!
Balancing energy intake with energy output is crucial. Too much energy (food) intake results in being overweight, while too little intake or too much expenditure (activity) can result in weight loss, decreased performance, delayed puberty, menstrual irregularities, fatigue, and loss of muscle mass.
Recommended daily calorie requirements are the same for boys and girls up to age 10 (before puberty).
Ages 4-6: 1600-1800 and
Ages 7-10: 2000 calories.
Ages 11-14: boys 2500 calories
girls 2200 calories
Ages 15-18: boys 3000 calories
girls 2200 calories.
Hydration
Cross-country runners competing in heat. Hot and humid weather increases sweat and the need for more hydration.
Hydration is vital, especially during warm weather months. Even mild dehydration impacts performance. Children often do not drink enough water. Water is the best hydrator for kids, not sports drinks and especially not energy drinks. Your athlete should be hydrating daily. If they wait until they are thirsty, they are likely already dehydrated. Heat and high humidity determine how much one sweats, and more volume is needed than during cooler months.
An easy parameter to self-monitor is to look at the color of their urine. The urine should be pale yellow, like lemonade, as a sign that they are adequately hydrated. If it is dark yellow, they should keep drinking water until it is lighter. They should also be drinking enough to urinate every 3-4 hours.
General Guidelines:
For activities less than or up to an hour, water is adequate.
2-3 hours before the activity, your athlete should drink about 500 ml of water or about 2 cups.
During sports, the recommendation is 150-300 ml or 5-8 ounces every 30 minutes.
After the activity, a child should drink 1-2 liters over the next several hours, or roughly 4-8 cups. Another guideline is 4 ml/kg body weight/hour or 2 ml per pound per hour.
For activities lasting longer than an hour or during high heat and humidity, sports drinks (not energy drinks - sports drinks have fluid and electrolytes, not caffeine) can be used in addition to water to replace sweat and electrolytes. Beverages with caffeine or carbonation should be avoided. Water should be consumed with the sports drink to aid the absorption of carbohydrates and prevent stomach cramping.
Children in daily sports should consume 1.5-2 liters of water daily, or 6-9 cups, especially if they participate in outdoor sports.
Be mindful of how much fluid, especially water, your child drinks and teach them to self-monitor with urine color. Proper hydration prevents dehydration, improves performance, and keeps them feeling well.