An athlete’s hydration status can determine their energy, focus, and performance. Athletes never want to start competition dehydrated. But what does it take to maintain hydration before, during and after practice or competition?
In the warm summer months, it is easy for athletes to remember their water bottles before they walk out the door. But what about the cold winter months? Are athlete’s still going to remember their water bottles? Athletes probably sweat more during the summer months and remember to drink water because they feel thirsty. So what happens when they have to start bundling up to go outside? Are they remembering their cold water bottle as they leave the house?
Keep reading for everything athletes need to know about hydration!
Why is Hydration Important for Teen Athletes
Despite what it may feel like, the body needs fluids each and every day, even if they aren’t sweating profusely from the hot sun. Providing the body with proper hydration allows it to function properly, both at baseline and for athletic performance. Water plays several important roles, impacting thermoregulation, immunity and recovering from infection, and athletic performance.
How Does Athlete Hydration Differ in the Winter Months
Dry air in the winter months may create issues with hydration status. Wintery conditions dry out the skin and the mucosal linings of airways, leading to an increase risk of illness. External hydration will be needed to maintain balance and restore lost fluids. When sickness hits, hydration can be key to an athlete’s recovery. Fluids are lost more rapidly with flu-related sweating or GI distress, meaning athlete’s need to replenish fluids at a faster rate. Keeping up with hydration when sick can speed up the recovery time, too. The body is able to regulate temperature if it is experiencing feverish symptoms, and rejuvenating the mucosal linings can improve the defense against pathogens while the immune system is busy fighting a current infection. Finally, hydration supplies the blood with the water it needs to transport important nutrients. Without these nutrients accessible, it will take longer to heal and recover.
Signs Your Teen Athlete May Be Dehydrated
The body provides a few easy-to-spot warning signs if it isn’t getting the water it needs. These include:
- Dark yellow urine: the color of urine can quickly display a lot about hydration status. The lighter and more clear urine is, the more hydrated the body is. Check out this helpful chart
- Dry skin and lips: skin needs fluids to stay hydrated, just like the rest of the body. Overly dry skin or lips may be a sign of dehydration.
- Constipation: water is necessary for proper bowel movements, so dehydration can make it harder to go. Be aware of how frequent the athlete’s bowel movements are. It is recommended that they are going about once a day. If they aren’t meeting this recommendation, try increasing their water intake and monitor changes.
- Low blood pressure: while this one may be harder to identify, it is crucial to performance. Water and fluids contribute to overall blood volume, so when the body is dehydrated, blood volume is lower. With a lower amount of blood, there is less force exerted on the arterial walls, and therefore we experience lower blood pressure. This is a big warning sign because if there is a decreased blood volume, there is less carrying capacity in the blood, and tissues may struggle to get the necessary oxygen and nutrients.
- Muscle Cramping: caused by rapid loss of fluid and electrolyte imbalance, muscle cramping can disrupt performance. Athlete’s should never start competition dehydrated or skip water breaks.
- Lack of focus and coordination: even slight dehydration impairs brain function causing lack of focus and coordination. The brain is 75% water so every move you make relies on proper hydration.
How Can An Athlete’s Hydration Effect Performance?
Dehydration has been shown to decrease performance outcomes across the sport world, from endurance sports to strength and power metrics. But how do these relate? When the body is dehydrated, there is an extra force placed on the cardiovascular system, meaning the heart must work harder to get the same amount of work done. This can manifest as fatigue, decreasing performance endurance and peak performance outputs. Research (Judge LW, Bellar DM, Popp JK, et al.) has shown that strength, power, and endurance performance all decreases once the body is more than 2% dehydrated. To operate at a peak performance level, then, it is imperative to stay hydrated before participation, during the event, and to rehydrate afterwards.
What is the definition of 2% dehydration?
The percentage is based on the athlete’s weight. Losing more than 2% of their body weight puts the athlete at a greater risk of dehydration.
For an 150 pound athlete, this equates to 3 pounds of weight loss during a training session.
For a 200 pound athlete, this equates to 4 pounds of weight loss.
If an athlete is losing more than 3-4 pounds during a training session, a personalized hydration and electrolyte plan is crucial to prevent fatigue, cramping, dizziness, and fainting.
Electrolytes: Do Teen Athletes Need them?
Electrolytes are having their moment in the spotlight right now, but what even are these things that every influencer is raving about? Potassium, sodium, and magnesium are all examples of electrolytes. These electrolytes can be found in one’s sweat. Each athlete’s sweat is personalized to them and can vary depending on intensity and duration of exercise, temperature and humidity. The body cannot produce electrolytes and must be obtained through food and drink. Although food can provide a satisfactory amount of electrolytes, athletes who sweat a lot, may need more electrolytes.
Imagine electrolytes and water molecules as being handcuffed together; they go everywhere together. When the body has the proper level of electrolytes, it experiences a balance between the intra- and extracellular fluids. This is desirable for proper nerve conduction and muscle contraction, making this state favorable for athletic performance. Depending on activity and sweat levels, the athlete may need to supplement their electrolyte intake with electrolyte packets to maintain this balance.
Common Electrolytes for Athletes
Depending on activity and sweat levels, athletes may need to supplement their electrolyte intake with electrolyte packets to maintain this balance. Each brand and product has a different level and combination of electrolytes. Gatorade Thirst Quencher and Nuun tablets have lower amounts of sodium whereas Liquid IV and LMNT have higher amounts of sodium.
If athletes are constantly drinking water but still experiencing one or more of the symptoms talked about previously, they may want to add these into their intra-workout and post-workout routines. However, it is important to remember that these are not always necessary. Keep the electrolyte drinks for hot and humid practices or if an athlete is a heavy sweater.
Hydration Strategies for Winter Months
Now that the importance of hydration is understood, let’s talk about ways to insure an athlete is properly fueled for peak performance.
- Always have a water bottle: to stay properly hydrated, it is important to constantly have access to water. By carrying around a water bottle, athletes can make sure they never have to go without it.
- Choose warm, hydrating fluids. Examples include soups, ramen, broth, hot chocolate or apple cider.
- Incorporate electrolytes when necessary: if athletes are heavy sweaters, it is likely that they should be including electrolytes into their hydration practices. Athletes can choose electrolyte replacements to add to water or a sports drink or incorporate foods high in sodium. Pickles, pretzels, deli meats, and cheeses are good sources of sodium to aid in electrolyte balance.
- Consume caffeine in moderation: Limit intake to three cups of coffee per day to prevent dehydration.
- Pay attention to the warning sides: if the body is dehydrated, it will make it known through the side effects discussed earlier. If they notice any of these things are happening chronically, they should change their hydration practices to see if there are any changes.
Athlete Hydration for Before, During and After a Workout
Below is an example of what hydration may look like for an athlete. This is just a guide and can be easily personalized to fit an athlete’s lifestyle and preferences.
Pre-workout Hydration
- Before the workout: ensure that they are consuming water throughout the hours preceding their workout or practice. This will provide the body with the water it needs to start the workout. This can include water, tea, coffee, and any hydrating foods they enjoy (pickles, cucumbers, soup, etc.). They probably do not need to be drinking electrolyte packets or sports drinks pre-workout.
Intra-workout Hydration
- During the workout: this is when it may be necessary to start adding in some of those electrolytes and sports drinks. It is likely that they will start to sweat and lose water and electrolytes, so having ample hydration is critical. Depending on how much they sweat and the duration/intensity of their workout, they should be consuming 8 ounces or one cup of water or sports drink every 15-20 minutes.
Post-workout Hydration
- After the workout: depending on the duration and intensity of their session, it is likely they were unable to keep up with their water loss via intra-workout hydration alone. With this being said, they should do their best to make up for it post-workout. This can look many different ways, but this is typically when pickles, beet juice, pretzels, and other sources of electrolytes can come into play.
The Final Sip
All in all, hydration is vital not only for peak athletic performance, but also for daily life. Athletes need to keep these hydration tips front of mind to ensure they are ready for the next workout, practice, or game. Upping hydration status might just be the edge athletes are looking to outplay their competition and better themselves as an athlete.
If your athlete is experiencing trouble with their hydration and want a personalized hydration plan, let’s talk!
Guest post written by Makena Hoying, The Ohio State University, Expected Graduation May 2027, future Registered Dietitian Nutritionist.