School is starting for many Northeast Ohio students this week — but the summer heat is far from over. That raises the risk of dehydration as kids start fall sports, causing them not only to lose their athletic edge but potentially land them in the emergency room.
In the United States, dehydration and fluid and electrolyte disorders lead to approximately 38,400 hospital admissions annually among children. That represents about 16.7% of all pediatric hospital stays.
As the final week of summer camp winds up at Adrenaline Monkey Adventure Park in Warrensville Heights, Shaker Heights 10-year-old Carter Young said he remembers to drink water when his mouth gets dry.
"(My parents) tell me (instead of drinking) juice or any other thing to just drink water, but not too much water, because I need other stuff in my body, but that's not just water," Young said.
Young is correct that chugging water may upset your stomach, said Dr. Marie Schaefer, a sports medicine specialist at Cleveland Clinic. She recommends sipping water and having a snack, like pretzels, to replenish the electrolytes lost when you sweat.
Health experts warn that those spending more than an hour of active time outside in the heat need to properly hydrate to avoid dangerous heat-related illnesses, including heat stroke.
Spotting the symptoms of dehydration
Another Adrenaline Monkey camper, 7-year-old Angelo Carcioppolo of Twinsburg, carries his water bottle with him as a reminder to drink more.
"I ... drink a lot of water when I get really hot or when I start to sweat a lot," he said.
Sweating signals the body is losing fluids and electrolytes, which need replacing, said Schaefer. Warning signs like headaches, dizziness, or cramping indicate it’s time to cool down and drink water, she said.
Being dehydrated can put a lot of stress on the kidneys and the heart and cause serious damage to those organs, Schaefer said.
Competitive edge
Adrenaline Monkey camp counsellor Cameron Krueger, 20, of Stowe, said during his summer soccer training, he noticed some of his teammates start to decline on the field.
"A lot of my teammates, they'll have a bad practice or a bad game, because they're dehydrated," Krueger said.
Schaefer said it's true that dehydration is linked to physical performance.
She said when the body becomes dehydrated it affects the function of the brain and muscles.
"You start getting really heavy legs as some of the byproducts of exercise build up, and water helps to flush those out," said Schaefer. "It also keeps the mouth and nose moisturized so that it’s easier to absorb oxygen through your lungs."
She said most athletes are dehydrated and don't know it.
As a baseline, she recommends athletes drink six to 12 ounces of water every 20 minutes.
