Everyone knows that it’s important to drink enough water,
but it’s especially important for athletes, particularly young athletes. Youth hockey players need to make sure they are adequately hydrated before they play
or practice, during their games and practices, and after as well. There are
many potentially negative effects to not being hydrated. These can include:
l Reduced
athletic performance
l Increased
recovery time after injury or strain
l Risk
of severe dehydration, which can lead to serious health problems, especially if
sustained for long periods of time
While you might think your players are drinking enough
water, a recent survey, performed with researchers connected to the NHL, found
that the vast majority of youth players show up to games somewhat dehydrated.
To make matters worse, they can lose up to a liter and a half of fluid during
the course of the game. Fluid loss was even more pronounced in goalies, and in
addition to fluid, players in the study tended to lose salt as well. The
scariest finding of all was that many of those players who showed up to games
adequately hydrated tended to become dehydrated by the time the game was over.
With inadequate hydration being such an obvious problem
among youth hockey players, it’s time for coaches to step up and attend to
their players’ health, wellbeing, and performance. In order to keep players
hydrated, safe, and performing to their full capabilities, a few basic tips
should be followed:
l Encourage
players to drink at least 20oz of water before participating in a game or a
practice.
l Provide
healthy, hydrating alternatives to water, such as sports drinks that contain
sodium and electrolytes.
l Have
plenty of water and/or sports drinks on hand and freely available to players before,
during, and after games and practices.
l Encourage
players to avoid dehydrating caffeinated beverages, such as sodas and energy
drinks.
l Encourage
players to drink healthy drinks consistently throughout the day. This will
enable players to maintain consistent hydration and is a better, safer choice
than loading up on water and other beverages right before physical activity.
If you can instill these habits in your hockey players,
you’ll be rewarded with healthy, high performing athletes.
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