Have you ever seen a plant that hasn't been watered enough? Its leaves start losing its color and the stem begins to droop. If you begin giving it water again, it will likely turn bright green and grow healthy and strong. Your body is like the plant. It needs water to thrive. Hydration is the process of getting water into your body to keep it working properly.
Hydration
The definition of hydrate is to supply something with water. Hydration is just another word for ensuring that your body has enough water. When your coach or your dad reminds you that you need to stay properly hydrated, that just means you need to drink plenty of water.
Dehydration
Dehydration is what happens when your body doesn't get enough water. Your body loses water when you sweat, go to the bathroom and even when you breathe. If you're exercising or it's hot outside, you sweat more and lose more water. That's why adults are always telling kids to stay hydrated during sports and exercise. If you become dehydrated, you might feel dizzy or tired and your heart might beat faster than usual. Your mouth might feel dry, you might be grouchy and your head might hurt. Dehydration can make you urinate less than usual and when you do urinate, it looks dark and smells strong. Being dehydrated can be so serious that some kids end up in the hospital until they can get hydrated again.
Staying Hydrated
By the time you feel thirsty, you're already starting to get dehydrated. How much water you need depends on how old you are and how active you are. Preschoolers need about six cups of water a day while a teenager might need as many as 10. Drink a glass of water before you go outside or start to play sports, then take a break every 15 or 20 minutes to sip some water. Have more water when you come back in, but don't drink it too fast. Don't overdress in warm weather. That long-sleeved shirt might look cool, but it won't keep you cool. If you get overheated you sweat more and lose more water than you should. Take drinks of water throughout the day, even when you aren't being active.
Being Sick
You probably don't want to think about throwing up or having diarrhea, but it happens to every kid. When you get sick and can't keep anything down, you're losing a lot of fluids. It's important to tell your mom and dad if you have a stomach bug. Telling them what's going on with your body allows them to help keep you hydrated and healthy. If you're sick and losing fluids, sip water or diluted (watered-down) juice all day, even if you don't feel like drinking anything. Sucking on fruit Popsicles can help keep you hydrated when you're sick too.
What to Drink and What to Avoid
Hydration is all about water, and that's the best thing for your body. If you don't like the flavor of plain water, ask your parents to add a slice of orange, lemon or watermelon to your glass to give it a little flavor. Sodas aren't the best thing for you to drink. They're loaded with sugar and caffeine, which your body doesn't need. Sports drinks are better than soda and can replace things your body loses when you sweat during heavy exercise. If you're active and will burn off the extra calories sports drinks provide, it's fine to drink them during practice or games. Energy drinks can have even more sugar and caffeine than soda and sometimes contain herbs or other ingredients that haven't been proven safe for kids, so it's a good idea to stay away from those. Juice can be healthful, if you don't drink too much. Try filling your cup with half juice and half water so you get the flavor and vitamins from the juice without too much sugar and calories. If you drink too much juice, it can fill you up so you don't have room to eat healthful foods, and that's not good.
The Bottom Line
Drink plenty of water before, during and after being active. Have a drink of water occasionally throughout the day, even if you're not doing anything active. Tell your parents if you're sick, and stay away from items such as soda and energy drinks. Follow these guidelines and you'll be a hydration master.
