The end of summer is near, but the beginning of fall sports is at hand. As temperatures soar to seasonal heights, it is important to remember to have young athletes take in enough fluids.
Research has shown that although young athletes, on average, perspire less than adult athletes, they also weigh less than adult athletes, so their water loss is magnified. Studies also have shown that when kids are offered flavored-beverages, their consumption of fluids increases; in some cases, up to 91% more than water consumption.
However, some dieticians caution that some sports drinks are nothing more than sugar water, and not necessary for younger children. Is there a time and place for sports drinks in children's sports?
Yes, says Boston dietician and sports nutritionist Nancy Clark in this New York Times article:
“Most kids younger than 10 or 12 don’t work out hard enough to require” carbohydrate and electrolyte replenishment, she says. “They should be playing and having fun, even during games.” If, however, your 12-year-old or older athlete has begun competing at a more intense level, especially if he or she participates in multiple practices or competitions in a single day during the summer, “sports drinks are appropriate,” Clark says. The salt in the drinks increases the body’s ability to hold on to the fluid, she points out, and few kids object to the taste, although in at least one study, some young athletes reported that sports drinks upset their stomachs. No one suggests that, outside of fields or courts, sports drinks are wise. “These are not health foods,” Clark says. “They’re fancy sugar water. You see kids having them with their pizza at lunch. That’s not a good idea.”
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