[ARCHIVED THREAD] - Preventing dehydration tips (Page 1 of 3)
Posted: 7/31/2016 6:30:39 PM EDT
|
My son just went through a 3 day football camp. He is 7 yrs old. 2.5 hours per day in the hot sun. Yesterday when he came home he started feeling awful. He passed out and napped for a couple hours. I figured he was just wore out. When he woke up he had a bad headache so I gave him some ibuprofen. Soon after that he vomited. His skin felt hot to the touch so I they him in a cold bath. He started crying because his headache was getting worse. Threw some clothes on him and off to urgent care we went. They gave him some more Motrin and 2 bags of IV fluids. He is much better now.
At the camp the coaches were pretty on top of making sure the kids were drinking water. I think the combo of sun, lots of activity, redhead, and pale skin was just to much. So what are some good tips for me to make sure this doesn't happen again? |
|
Pre hydrate. Make sure he can't drink any more water during the day or the day before. In other words be prepared to lose a lot of water, so get ahead of it. Then water during activity is just maintain. Agree on the salts as well via Gatorade, but on the front end as well.
Heat don't fuck around. Respect it. Need to have a plan for when it's that bad. |
|
Quoted: Pre hydrate. Make sure he can't drink any more water during the day or the day before. In other words be prepared to lose a lot of water, so get ahead of it. Then water during activity is just maintain. Agree on the salts as well via Gatorade, but on the front end as well. Heat don't fuck around. Respect it. Need to have a plan for when it's that bad. |
|
Quoted:
I thought I pissed off some people today. That's gonna get to some thin skinners.  Quoted:
Quoted:
The real question is why are 7 yr olds having football camps? Answer is....Parents that can't get past their childhoods. I thought I pissed off some people today. That's gonna get to some thin skinners. He's right |
|
Quoted:
Pre hydrate. Make sure he can't drink any more water during the day or the day before. In other words be prepared to lose a lot of water, so get ahead of it. Then water during activity is just maintain. Agree on the salts as well via Gatorade, but on the front end as well. Heat don't fuck around. Respect it. Need to have a plan for when it's that bad. See above. Pre hydrate! |
|
Kids are more susceptible to dehydration and are less likely to recognize that dehydration is occurring. If it's hot enough, they may not be able to keep up with the effects of a hot July day. If they really have to practice (and really, how much difference does it make in a 7 year old), it should probably be at 7 in the morning. |
|
23 years of roofing in the hot California sun, last week was all over 105 up to I think 108. You have to constantly drink small amounts every few minutes. You cannot catch up once your behind and trying to gulp down a quart of water is a recipe for disaster.
In my situation water alone doesn't replace what I am losing so you will also need to replace electrolytes. When he is out running he may not feel like drinking water because he isn't thirsty but he must drink anyways. Pre hydrating the night before and even a few hours before practice is a good start, I start my days with nearly a half gallon of liquid in the hour and half leading up to work and then I will drink another 3 gallons before 1. |
|
Quoted:
My son just went through a 3 day football camp. He is 7 yrs old. 2.5 hours per day in the hot sun. Yesterday when he came home he started feeling awful. He passed out and napped for a couple hours. I figured he was just wore out. When he woke up he had a bad headache so I gave him some ibuprofen. Soon after that he vomited. His skin felt hot to the touch so I they him in a cold bath. He started crying because his headache was getting worse. Threw some clothes on him and off to urgent care we went. They gave him some more Motrin and 2 bags of IV fluids. He is much better now. At the camp the coaches were pretty on top of making sure the kids were drinking water. I think the combo of sun, lots of activity, redhead, and pale skin was just to much. So what are some good tips for me to make sure this doesn't happen again? Drink Pedialyte, like adults would drink Gatorade. |
|
Quoted:
23 years of roofing in the hot California sun, last week was all over 105 up to I think 108. You have to constantly drink small amounts every few minutes. You cannot catch up once your behind and trying to gulp down a quart of water is a recipe for disaster. In my situation water alone doesn't replace what I am losing so you will also need to replace electrolytes. When he is out running he may not feel like drinking water because he isn't thirsty but he must drink anyways. Pre hydrating the night before and even a few hours before practice is a good start, I start my days with nearly a half gallon of liquid in the hour and half leading up to work and then I will drink another 3 gallons before 1. And too much water dilutes them important electrolytes |
|
Quoted:
23 years of roofing in the hot California sun, last week was all over 105 up to I think 108. You have to constantly drink small amounts every few minutes. You cannot catch up once your behind and trying to gulp down a quart of water is a recipe for disaster. In my situation water alone doesn't replace what I am losing so you will also need to replace electrolytes. When he is out running he may not feel like drinking water because he isn't thirsty but he must drink anyways. Pre hydrating the night before and even a few hours before practice is a good start, I start my days with nearly a half gallon of liquid in the hour and half leading up to work and then I will drink another 3 gallons before 1. I take a 5 gallon jug with me every day in the summer, alone I will do 2 gallons, usually if there are other guys that need water it's gone by the end of the day. People seriously underestimate how much water they need when working in the heat. |
|
Quoted:
Good answer. Quoted:
Quoted:
Pre hydrate. Make sure he can't drink any more water during the day or the day before. In other words be prepared to lose a lot of water, so get ahead of it. Then water during activity is just maintain. Agree on the salts as well via Gatorade, but on the front end as well. Heat don't fuck around. Respect it. Need to have a plan for when it's that bad. If body says I can't drink any more water or I can't drink enough water. One is hydrated, the other is dehydrated. The salts are important as well in oppressive heat. It's got what plants crave! I've read that most people live their life some what dehydrated. Add an extreme heat event and outdoor activity, well you know what happens. The young and elderly are most vulnerable. |
|
Quoted:
The real question is why are 7 yr olds having football camps? Answer is....Parents that can't get past their childhoods. A 2 hour summer football camp is recreation more than anything. We used to all do soccer camp for half a day, it was the highlight of the summer because it got us off the farm and seeing our friends. |
|
Quoted:
And too much water dilutes them important electrolytes Quoted:
Quoted:
23 years of roofing in the hot California sun, last week was all over 105 up to I think 108. You have to constantly drink small amounts every few minutes. You cannot catch up once your behind and trying to gulp down a quart of water is a recipe for disaster. In my situation water alone doesn't replace what I am losing so you will also need to replace electrolytes. When he is out running he may not feel like drinking water because he isn't thirsty but he must drink anyways. Pre hydrating the night before and even a few hours before practice is a good start, I start my days with nearly a half gallon of liquid in the hour and half leading up to work and then I will drink another 3 gallons before 1. And too much water dilutes them important electrolytes True and it's why I drink a 20 ounce gatorade at 9, 11, and 1. I also take these electrolyte pills before my day starts. I know what I have to do. I lasered my roof last week and it was 160 degree's at 12. |
|
A good ratio, for me at least, is 3:1 water:gatorade, sometimes even just 4:1.
Most any gatorade is fine. And by gatorade I mean Gatorade, not Powerade or some energy drink like Red Bull. Maintain that consumption ratio in order to pee every hour. Stay out of direct sunlight. Not the option in this case but perhaps the coaches can set up EZ-Ups on the sidelines for when they're off the field. A 7yr old doesn't know these things so now is a great chance to reinforce the lesson
|
|
Your son should prehydrate with Gatorade, and make sure he drinks enough.
I am a (former) redhead, pale skin, and an endurance athlete (marathons, Ironman triathlons). Hot summer weather hits me pretty hard, so I take hydration seriously. People's needs vary wildly, so what's enough for one kid may be half of what the other kid needs. As others said, once he gets behind he can't catch up. Drink early and often. There is only so much liquid the digestive system can process. |
| I coach varsity lacrosse and football, as well as running speed and agility camps in the summer. Seven is a bit young for a"camp" but 2.5 hours of physical activity isn't too taxing, although at that age they should be in shorts and cleats only, no pads. The biggest overlooked factor by parents is initial conditioning. In other words, if your son if used to playing Xbox in the air-conditioning all day long, then 2.5 hours is a lot of activity. If you're going to send them to a "camp" then you have to ramp up the exercise level BEFORE they go. Sports drinks are ok if the child will only drink something with "flavor." I prefer low-calorie versions if they chug a ton of the things. For Heaven's sake, pre-hydrate them as well! |
|
Quoted:
A 2 hour summer football camp is recreation more than anything. We used to all do soccer camp for half a day, it was the highlight of the summer because it got us off the farm and seeing our friends. Quoted:
Quoted:
The real question is why are 7 yr olds having football camps? Answer is....Parents that can't get past their childhoods. A 2 hour summer football camp is recreation more than anything. We used to all do soccer camp for half a day, it was the highlight of the summer because it got us off the farm and seeing our friends. That is more the issue than dehydration. Most kids don't have enough physical activity outside, they can't take a couple hours of play. 2.5 hours of a pee-wee football camp is really only about 45 minutes of true activity. I get so many parents who send kids to my camps who have NO conditioning whatsoever, just our warm ups kill them. |
|
Hydrate a few days in advance. Lots of people walk around chronically dehydrated and their body can't handle a high influx of fluids all at once.
Weigh your son before practice/activity. Even after drinking water and sports drinks all through practice, for every pound of weight lost after practice have him drink 20 ounces of water and/or sports drink. |
|
Quoted:
Stupidest post ever. My boy would be heartbroken if I didn't let him play. He loves football . Quoted:
Quoted:
The real question is why are 7 yr olds having football camps? Answer is....Parents that can't get past their childhoods. Stupidest post ever. My boy would be heartbroken if I didn't let him play. He loves football . It's not the "stupidest post ever", it's true. These things are driven by coaches that think their job is important and want to relive glory. They teach kids to play a game. Sure there's some competitive learning going on but that can be taught anywhere. I wasn't targeting you in my post. I blame the schools and the coaches. Then the kids peer pressured into doing everything. I can guarantee that a 7 yr old is getting next to nothing from these "camps". Full disclosure--I lettered in 4 sports all 4 years and went to state in 2 sports my junior and senior years. I also played rugby in college. |
|
Quoted:
It's not the "stupidest post ever", it's true. These things are driven by coaches that think their job is important and want to relive glory. They teach kids to play a game. Sure there's some competitive learning going on but that can be taught anywhere. I wasn't targeting you in my post. I blame the schools and the coaches. Then the kids peer pressured into doing everything. I can guarantee that a 7 yr old is getting next to nothing from these "camps". Full disclosure--I lettered in 4 sports all 4 years and went to state in 2 sports my junior and senior years. I also played rugby in college. Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
The real question is why are 7 yr olds having football camps? Answer is....Parents that can't get past their childhoods. Stupidest post ever. My boy would be heartbroken if I didn't let him play. He loves football . It's not the "stupidest post ever", it's true. These things are driven by coaches that think their job is important and want to relive glory. They teach kids to play a game. Sure there's some competitive learning going on but that can be taught anywhere. I wasn't targeting you in my post. I blame the schools and the coaches. Then the kids peer pressured into doing everything. I can guarantee that a 7 yr old is getting next to nothing from these "camps". Full disclosure--I lettered in 4 sports all 4 years and went to state in 2 sports my junior and senior years. I also played rugby in college. You sound biased on this already. I am not a big advocate for pushing youth sports beyond basic programs, travel teams, off season teams, and multiple long practices during school week I think is horrible for young people (my opinion anyway). That said, a week long summer camp, and from the sounds of it a quarter day camp, is enjoyable for the kids. Most are there because they want to be, and enjoy being with the other kids, and getting a chance to play organized games. I did summer soccer camps from 7 until 15 (that was the age cut off, I asked if I could go the first year it was available) it was a fun way to break up the summer, and play with kids I only saw once a year. If I got nothing out of it skill-wise (which I'm sure I did) it was at least a good social experience. I will keep my kids away from teams outside of school, but will happily pay for day camp in the summer if they ask to go. |
|
Quoted:
You sound biased on this already. I am not a big advocate for pushing youth sports beyond basic programs, travel teams, off season teams, and multiple long practices during school week I think is horrible for young people (my opinion anyway). That said, a week long summer camp, and from the sounds of it a quarter day camp, is enjoyable for the kids. Most are there because they want to be, and enjoy being with the other kids, and getting a chance to play organized games. I did summer soccer camps from 7 until 15 (that was the age cut off, I asked if I could go the first year it was available) it was a fun way to break up the summer, and play with kids I only saw once a year. If I got nothing out of it skill-wise (which I'm sure I did) it was at least a good social experience. I will keep my kids away from teams outside of school, but will happily pay for day camp in the summer if they ask to go. Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
Quoted:
The real question is why are 7 yr olds having football camps? Answer is....Parents that can't get past their childhoods. Stupidest post ever. My boy would be heartbroken if I didn't let him play. He loves football . It's not the "stupidest post ever", it's true. These things are driven by coaches that think their job is important and want to relive glory. They teach kids to play a game. Sure there's some competitive learning going on but that can be taught anywhere. I wasn't targeting you in my post. I blame the schools and the coaches. Then the kids peer pressured into doing everything. I can guarantee that a 7 yr old is getting next to nothing from these "camps". Full disclosure--I lettered in 4 sports all 4 years and went to state in 2 sports my junior and senior years. I also played rugby in college. You sound biased on this already. I am not a big advocate for pushing youth sports beyond basic programs, travel teams, off season teams, and multiple long practices during school week I think is horrible for young people (my opinion anyway). That said, a week long summer camp, and from the sounds of it a quarter day camp, is enjoyable for the kids. Most are there because they want to be, and enjoy being with the other kids, and getting a chance to play organized games. I did summer soccer camps from 7 until 15 (that was the age cut off, I asked if I could go the first year it was available) it was a fun way to break up the summer, and play with kids I only saw once a year. If I got nothing out of it skill-wise (which I'm sure I did) it was at least a good social experience. I will keep my kids away from teams outside of school, but will happily pay for day camp in the summer if they ask to go. Well I guess I did just drive 1300 miles one way to take my 13 yr old to a 3 gun camp and a pistol camp. Giant hypocrite I guess.
|
|
Quoted:
Explain to him why he got sick. Next time he'll drink more water and not play with it. You can lead them to water but you cannot make them drink. I remember running 3 a days in college, part of running drills was drinking water. If you didn't take any during water break time, you got your ass chewed. |
|
Water all night before he goes to camp. You have to hydrate the body before he goes out to play. My boy has played sports in the hot Florida sun for years. At least a bottle of water before bed and one right when he wakes up.
You ever notice how pro athletes are carrying around a backpack when you see them. They are usually full of water and other hydration products for the game that night. |
| Eat good before hand. Drink gatorade. Drink water. Drink gatorade. Stay as cool as possible. Make sure he acually drinks the water. If he throws up during practice he whould probably drink more water. That's what we did at least. Remind him the sweat and misery helps him pick up chicks later in the school year. |
|
As others have mentioned, lots of water, but make sure he gets some sort of sports drink as well, you lose more than water when you sweat, and drinking water only replenishes the water. You don't have to drink nothing but Powerade, but don't avoid it either, it is more than just marketing. I work outside in Georgia, I work in attics in Georgia, so this is a subject I deal with on a daily basis this time of year. I drink at least two gallons of liquids a day, at least a couple of quarts of that are sports drinks. I have had to work in attics for a couple of hours at a time int he afternoon during mid summer, all the water in the world isn't going to keep you from running into trouble in that environment, you have to stop and take breaks to cool down, and drink something that replenishes the salts and minerals you have been sweating out. |
|
Quoted:
I remember running 3 a days in college, part of running drills was drinking water. If you didn't take any during water break time, you got your ass chewed. Quoted:
Quoted:
Explain to him why he got sick. Next time he'll drink more water and not play with it. You can lead them to water but you cannot make them drink. I remember running 3 a days in college, part of running drills was drinking water. If you didn't take any during water break time, you got your ass chewed. Yup, if you're thirsty it might already be too late. |
|
Quoted: My son just went through a 3 day football camp. He is 7 yrs old. 2.5 hours per day in the hot sun. Yesterday when he came home he started feeling awful. He passed out and napped for a couple hours. I figured he was just wore out. When he woke up he had a bad headache so I gave him some ibuprofen. Soon after that he vomited. His skin felt hot to the touch so I they him in a cold bath. He started crying because his headache was getting worse. Threw some clothes on him and off to urgent care we went. They gave him some more Motrin and 2 bags of IV fluids. He is much better now. At the camp the coaches were pretty on top of making sure the kids were drinking water. I think the combo of sun, lots of activity, redhead, and pale skin was just to much. So what are some good tips for me to make sure this doesn't happen again? Instruct him on how he is to follow coach's instructions... as he was obviously not. Hydrate him yourself afterwards. Make sure older siblings, and your spouse also know how to recognize the symptoms. ANYBODY can get tripped up and dehydrated, having others around helping recognizing it is key. |