» Ten tips for athletes to survive the summer heat :: Raising Athletes

Jul212008

Ten tips for athletes to survive the summer heat

Filed under Baseball, General, Health & Fitness by bob hammerstrom at 2:40 pm

It’s only the first half of the soccer game and your child is cramping up. They just downed both water bottles you sent with them, and are trying to massage their locked muscles.

It’s too late. The key to surviving the summer heat on the athletic fields is to hydrate properly and follow a few common sense tips.

1) Hydrate the night before the game, not at the last minute. Drink plenty of fluids sooner to let the body absorb them for when you need it. If you send the sports drinks with them to the game, make sure they have water as well. That short-lasting sugar spike from the sports drinks is followed by a lack of energy. Stick with water and you won’t go wrong. It’s cheaper too!

2) Have your kids eat fruit during their meal before the event. Fruit has nature sugars and is processed by your body slower, so you get energy longer from them. Bananas help keep the muscle cramps away.

3) Eat a good meal the night before with all the food groups. They’ll feel healthier the next day.

4) Bring a cooler to the game or practice, filled with water to drink, as well as wet wash clothes on ice to wrap around their necks during breaks. We used them a couple weeks ago during a hot tournament in St. Louis. I’ve also considered putting their hat in the cooler during breaks.

5) Keep the players in the shade until they are ready to warm up. They’re no point to overheating them early.

6) They are expensive, but the pump water misters are an interesting way to keep the players cool when off the field.

7) Encourage the players to take off their hats or helmets when not playing. Their head is the chimney of their body. Let the heat out.

Consider purchasing a pop of sports tent. It’s great for parents to take refuge under during the games, and a place for the players to find shade before and after their events.