It is always better to play it safe then not to play at all. When playing any type of sport it is very important to stay hydrated. While playing sports you can become dehydrated which occurs when a person uses or loses more fluid than you take in, and your body doesn’t have enough water and other fluids to carry out normal functions. If you don’t keep yourself hydrated while playing you can put yourself in a very bad situation. Here are some tips on how to keep hydrated while playing sports.
- Always make sure to bring a water bottle to wherever your sporting event is.
- When at a practice or a game make sure you keep yourself hydrated throughout the duration.
- Drink water before, during, and after the game/practice.
- There are different levels of dehydration that range from mild to life threatening (heat cramps, heat exhaustion, and heatstroke).
- Symptoms can range from muscle cramping in the calves, back, arms, or abdomen (heat cramps).
- Faintness or dizziness, nausea and rapid heartbeat (heat exhaustion) to collapse.
- Emotional instability and very high body temperature (heatstroke)
- When you notice someone who is showing signs of heat illness and the symptoms aren’t going away or you don’t see any signs of that athlete getting better call 911.
- Move the athlete to a shaded area and cool the body down with water.
- Remove any equipment and excess clothing and raise their legs 8-12in