Most people underestimate the simple act of drinking water.  The human body is about 75% water and everyone knows that proper hydration is important to keep your body functioning at it’s best.  Even more important to remember is that the human brain is around 85% water.  The brain gets priority when it comes to hydrating, and if you fail to drink enough water it is the rest of the body that suffers first. 

Keeping your body properly hydrated is as crucial as maintaining an engine’s oil level.  This is especially true for young people, whose bodies are still growing and developing.  Engines will run for a while with the oil low, but eventually they break down and stop running.  Dehydration is an accumulative process, and health professionals are finding chronic dehydration to be increasingly common.  The cure is the simple act of drinking water.   Nothing can replace the importance of plain water.

Everyone should be drinking the minimum amount that doctors have long told us we need. We need a total of 8 to 10 eight-ounces of water DAILY to function normally, and when you are using extra energy competing in sports your water intake should be increased too.  It used to be thought that simply drinking when thirsty was sufficient, but modern research is showing that thirst is a symptom of already being dehydrated.  Drinking 60-80 ounces of water per day is important maintenance. It is also important to remember that an increased water intake has a tendency to flush sodium from your system, so one electrolyte beverage per day should be part of any hydration regimen.

There are quite a few electrolyte replacement drinks, but these drinks should not be used as a replacement for water.  Coaches, parents and adult players teach by example.  What kind of example is being set in the hydrating department?  Next to dedication and skill, bodies are the most important piece of competitive equipment in the game.  Is chronic dehydration a problem for your team?

Are you aware of the signs of chronic dehydration?  They include muscle and joint pain, back pain, stress, allergies, and asthma.  Do you recognize any of these symptoms? Know your players and watch for signs. Research has even found possible links between chronic dehydration and Alzheimer’s disease.  It has long been believed that consuming any fluids would keep the body running properly. New studies, however, show that water and only water can do this, so don’t under-estimate the importance of establishing a new drinking routine! *

If you truly want to know how healthy you are, check the color of your urine.  Unless you are taking vitamins or some type of medications, your urine should be almost clear.  “Clear and copious” is good rule of thumb to follow.  You know yourself better than anyone: watching and listening to the signals your body gives is important.

When the weather is hot it is easy to drink water.  In the colder months drinking water takes more of an effort, but drinking adequate amounts of water stays just as important.  The cooler the weather, the more likely we are to reach for hot drinks like coffee, tea and hot chocolate. Unfortunately those drinks act as diuretics and extra care should be used to avoid dehydration.  For every cup of coffee that you drink, you need to drink 3 glasses of water to replace lost fluids.  And for every 12-oz beer you drink, you expend 20 oz’s of fluid!  Do the math and drink the extra water!

To get that team in the best competitive condition start a hydrating program now and see how their performance improves  - especially as the weather starts to heat up.  If you are not an avid water drinker then most of your players are probably not either.  After all, kids copy what they see others doing.  So my challenge to all of you coaches out there is to increase your water intake for the next 30 days, to a minimum of 8 eight-ounce glasses a day.  It is easier than you think!  One of the keys is to drink purified or good bottled water.  Tap water may have chemical taste, excess chlorine, or other undesirable flavors.  Having good pure water is the key to drinking it all the time.  At the end of the 30 days, let us know how you feel.  Our tests and customer feedback indicate that you’ll feel better than you have in years!

It has been 13 years since my own experience with heat exhaustion and my favorite summer beverage is no longer ice tea, but water.  I try to drink a minimum of 80 ounces every day and in the summer a gallon plus.  My health is great and many of my aches and pains have left, even though I will be 55 this year.

Our company has been teaching the importance of hydration and acclimation since 1992 while providing a full line of personal cooling items.  Cooling products can help everyone on a hot day, but nothing can beat being fit and fully hydrated.   Our clients include military teams, Fire Fighters, K-9 Teams, The Pacific Coast Strike Team, The City of Henderson Nevada’s crossing guards, with classes taught at Fire Rescue West and some Search and Rescue events.  Our primary focus is to help prevent all types of heat related problems, while educating people about the importance of drinking WATER.

Hydration and acclimation are important in any season, just like eating well- balanced meals.  It is all part of staying fit and staying sharp to enjoy a healthy and safe time during the Soccer Season.

*See “Your Body’s Many Cries For Water”  by F. Batmanghelidj, M.D.