A number of studies in recent years have shown that sports drinks re-hydrate kids who are active in the heat better than water. Given a choice, kids will drink a lot more of a sports drink than of a glass of water.
An oft-cited 1999 study in the Journal of Applied Physiology reported that drinking a properly formulated sports drink with carbohydrates and electrolytes [1] (sodium and potassium) increased fluid intake by nearly one-third (32%) compared to water. Because they taste better than water, sports drinks encouraged kids to keep drinking until their fluid needs were met. Another study, from 2003, reported that when drinking water, kids will drink only about 50 percent of what they need. A Canadian study in the 1990's found that a flavored drink containing 6 percent carbohydrates and electrolytes (the amount found in most sports drinks) encouraged kids to drink 91 percent more than water alone.
Sports Drinks |
Water |
Maintain thirst, so kids keep drinking until fully hydrated |
Eliminates thirst, so kids stop drinking before they are fully re-hydrated |
Contain carbohydrates which provide energy for peak sports performance |
Contains no carbohydrates, so it does not provide the energy a child needs for running and playing all day |
Contain electrolytes (sodium and potassium) which speed rehydration, create thirst, makes them taste better, and prevent heat cramps |
Contains no electrolytes and lack the taste appeal of a sports drink |
Electrolytes [1] are chemicals in the body fluids that result from the breakdown of salts, including sodium, potassium, magnesium, and chloride, which the body needs to maintain proper amounts of water inside cells, nerve conductivity, and allow for proper response by the cells to outside stimuli.
Electrolyte deficits, particularly sodium, can cause lethargy, muscle cramping, and mental confusion, and even seizures. A properly formulated sports drink containing salts, particularly sodium, replaces electrolytes that active children lose through sweat and, because of their taste, promote re-hydration by maintaining thirst and encourage fluid intake.
Kids are susceptible to heat illnesses when active in hot weather because they:
According to a 2005 American College of Sports Medicine report on hydration, "even a 1 percent to 2 percent reduction in body mass" through perspiration "reduces the aerobic performance in 10- to 12-year-old boys."
Because studies show that kids will voluntarily drink more of a sports drink compared to drinking plain water, giving your child a sports drink to consume before, during and after sports significantly reduces the risk of dehydration [2], which can lead to heat illnesses [3].
Three University of Connecticut studies recently presented to the American College of Sports Medicine found that between 50 and 75 percent of boys and girls at sports camps were significantly dehydrated. at the end of their camp stays Twenty-five to 30 percent of the campers studied showed signs of serious dehydration, putting them at increased risk of heat-related illnesses.
The campers were dehydrated despite the availability of water and sports drinks, frequent breaks and coaches' encouragement to stay hydrated. "Most of teh campers thought they were doing a pretty good job of staying hydrated during the day," the studies said, but, "Obviously there's a gap between their knowledge and their actual behavior."
A survey commissioned by the National Safe Kids Campaign revealed that more than three out of four parents of active kids aged 8-14 do not know the steps they should take to help prevent dehydration in their children.
The survey and studies show the importance for parents of not only educating their children about the importance of hydration but of having and implementing a hydration strategy utilizing the consumption of sports drinks on a schedule [4] before, during and after sports to eliminate the risks of dehydration and heat illnesses.
Parents need to remember, however, that their kids should not be drinking sports drinks unless they are engaged in intense exercise in the heat over a period of hours (such as when they are competing in multiple practices or games during a single, hot summer day), and not with meals, as consumption of sports drinks has been linked with obesity and tooth decay.
Links:
[1] https://mail.momsteam.com/node/865
[2] https://mail.momsteam.com/node/867
[3] https://mail.momsteam.com/node/866
[4] https://mail.momsteam.com/node/277
[5] https://mail.momsteam.com/users/drsusan
[6] https://mail.momsteam.com/nutrition/sports-hydration/fluid-guidelines/fluid-guidelines-for-young-athletes
[7] https://mail.momsteam.com/health-safety/dehydration-signs-and-symptoms
[8] https://mail.momsteam.com/nutrition/heat-illness-cramps-exhaustion-stroke-signs-treatment
[9] https://mail.momsteam.com/health-safety/replace-electrolytes-lost-during-sports-with-sports-drinks
[10] https://mail.momsteam.com/health-safety/what-to-drink-for-sports-what-not-to-drink-for-sports
[11] https://mail.momsteam.com/nutrition/sports-hydration/heat-illnesses/warning-signs-and-symptoms-of-dehydration-kids-can-become-dehydrated-in-cold-weather
[12] https://mail.momsteam.com/health-safety/child-hydration-status-several-factors-at-play
[13] https://mail.momsteam.com/nutrition/homemade-sports-drinks-lower-cost-same-nutrition-as-store-bought