Proper Hydration and Nutrition during Summer Youth Meets  

by Melinda Burris Willms

Summer months mean the time for youth track meets has arrived . . . and these multiple day meets often last 3-4 days. Each day begins with check in at 9 in the morning, with meets often lasting up to 12 hours. Participants compete in temperatures that often reach into the 90s, intensified by extreme humidity, which only increases the heat index and makes the heat even more oppressive.

Events take a long time to get underway and conclude as competitors are sorted into groups based on age and gender. Consequently, meet participants frequently face a lot of down time between events. These intervals can be quite long, frequently lasting up to several hours. While they wait, participants find some reprieve from the hot sun under team tents, which also provide seating[1]. This means athletes face the dual challenge of staying hydrated throughout a long and taxing day, during which they must contend with repeated warm-ups prior to each competition due to lengthy breaks between scheduled events for participants.

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How Much Water Should You be Drinking?

According to The American Council on Exercise, an individual should drink 17-20 oz. of water two to three hours before scheduled exercise.[2] Another cup of water (8 oz.) should be drank during the 20-30-minute window prior to starting the exercise activity.[3] (This is vitally important for participants in youth track meets to remember and follow closely as part of their repeated warm-up processes they will frequently repeat throughout the days of competition.)

Whenever possible, 7-10 ounces of water should be consumed at 10-20-minute intervals while exercising. Finally, an additional 8 ounces of water should be consumed within at least 30 minutes of ending exercise.[4] As has been previously noted, athletes must vigilantly safeguard against dehydration because of the intensity of their exertions. The council suggests athletes weigh themselves following workouts and competition to accurately gage the amount of fluid lost so they can adjust their water intake accordingly. It is recommended that to compensate for each pound of weight lost, athletes drink 16-24 ounces of water to properly rehydrate and maintain body weight.”[5]

Which is Best – Water or Sports Drinks?

According to Patrick J. Skerett (2012), writing for Harvard Health, the British Medical Journal (BMJ) had researched and published a series of expository essays focused on unveiling the “truth about sports drinks.”[6] And what is that truth? A very simple one—listen to your body; and when you feel thirsty, drink—water. Scholars at the BMJ concluded that water adequately fulfilled hydration needs. Sports drinks, on the other hand, are expensive and add unnecessary caloric intake.[7] Thirst was nature’s common-sense cue that water consumption was needed and an internal censor warning of dehydration. This of course was prior to the age of sports drink empires and their high-priced advertising efforts. As the BMJ team explains, sports drink manufacturers invested considerable financial resources into imprecise research methodologies that resulted in findings concluding that thirst is an unreliable “guide to hydration” and that skepticism exists regarding “[water’s distinction] as the (italics mine) beverage for staying hydrated.”[8]

The BMJ article offered some insight into the humble beginnings of Gatorade©, now the undisputed “granddaddy of sports drinks” at the heart of an industry, whose annual profits just in the United States, are more than 1.5 billion annually.[9] Originally conceived as a beverage for the University of Florida Gators football team, the sports drink began “life as a simple mixture of kitchen foodstuffs” including, “water, salt, sugar, and lemon flavoring.”[10] If you have ever wondered how Gatorade got its name, you now know, the billion dollar sports drink owes its inauspicious start to attempts to aid the Florida Gators.[11]

Coconut Water Versus Traditional Sports Drinks

Coconut water has been growing in popularity among athletes who prefer the taste and are actively looking for an alternative to high-calorie, high sugar sports drinks. Coconut water has actually been around for several years, and was featured as a “sports drink alternative” at The 2010 Malibu International Marathon, The typical offerings of Gatorade, Powerade, and other high-calorie, high sugar sports drinks typically seen at these events “were replaced with all-natural coconut water.”[12]

The hype around coconut water leads to an obvious question: Is it a better option than traditional sports drinks? Dr. Natalie Digate Muth, shows there are no easy answers; however much we may want one! According to the author, “The answer, in short, is: It depends.”[13]

Coconut water is low in calories (approximately 60 calories/12 oz. serving). Coconut water is also extremely high in potassium. To put this in context, you would need approximately15 servings of a traditional sports drink to equal the amount of potassium in one 12 oz. serving of coconut water.[14]

Timing is Everything: Nutrition and Performance

Carbohydrates

Athletes must consume the correct combination of nutrients and they must be careful to schedule their meals and water intake for the optimum time, so the body takes in the food both when it needs it, and when it can best digest it. An athlete’s diet must contain adequate portions of carbohydrates, proteins, healthy fats, vitamins, minerals, and fluid” (bold font mine).[15] These basic elements make up “the foundation of day-to-day eating for overall health.”[16]  Timing is everything; the body requires the correct power source at the proper time to allow the athlete to prepare to perform, to recover, and to continue to build upon their training and extend their physical and cognitive capabilities.

It is imperative that athletes eat before exercise or competing as this has been shown to have a positive effect on performance. A meal and beverage rich in carbohydrates is recommended because carbohydrates “increase or ‘top off’ muscle glycogen stores, prevent hunger, and provide a mental boost for the athlete.”[17]

To break this down further, athletes should take in “1 gram per kilogram of body weight (k/kg) of carbohydrate one hour before exercise, 2 g/kg two hours before, and so on.”[18]

Obviously, as the time for exercise/competition nears, the body needs to take in larger amounts of carbohydrate. If stomach pain or indigestion are experienced, smaller portions and carbohydrates with a lower fiber and fat content can be substituted and should aid in relieving any discomfort.[19]

Hydration

Hydration timing is crucial to allow for the sufficient excretion of bodily fluids and to prevent dehydration.  Individuals should try to consume between 5 to 7 mL/kg of water (or a sports drink) four hours prior to undertaking exercise or competing.[20]

Need for Carbs and Protein “Recovery” Shakes

Recovery nutrition replaces the fuel, electrolytes, and glycogen the body used during its exertions.[21] Known as the “window of opportunity”, the forty-five minutes immediately following exercise is key for taking in the necessary nutrients to start the all-important process of recovery.[22] To facilitate muscle glycogen renewal, it is important that athletes eat a snack that is rich in carbohydrates during this forty-five-minute window. Within the first four hours of glycogen depletion, athletes should strive to eat 1 to 1.2 g/kg/hour.[23]

Your best chance of successfully meeting your nutritional and hydration goals will hinge on your ability to plan and your commitment to follow guidelines in order to achieve your personal best performance.[24]

Notes

1. American Academy of Family Physicians. “Hydration for Athletes.” Family Doctor. Last modified May 2017. https://familydoctor.org/athletes-the-importance-of-good-hydration/
2. 2. Ibid.
3. Ibid.
4. Ibid.
5. Patrick J. Skerett. “Trade Sports Drinks for Water.” Harvard Health [Blog]. Posted July 30, 2012, 1:07 pm EST. http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/trade-sports-drinks-for-water-201207305079
6. Ibid.
7. Ibid.
8. Ibid.
9. Ibid.
10. Ibid.
11. Nathalie Digate Muth. “Nutrition Spotlight: Fueling for Performance…with Coconut Water? “Nutrition Spotlight: Fueling for Performance…with Coconut Water? ACE December, 2010. http://www.ncaa.org/health-and-safety/nutrition-and-performance/fueling-performance-how-proper-timing-meals-affects-both
12. Ibid.
13. 13. NCAA.org. SCAN Dieticians. “Fueling for Performance: How Proper Timing of Meals Affects Both Sport and Academic Performance.” Last updated: August 6, 2013. http://www.ncaa.org/health-and-safety/nutrition-and-performance/fueling-performance-how-proper-timing-meals-affects-both
14. Muth, Ibid.
15. NCAA.org. Ibid.
16. Ibid.
17. Ibid.
18. Ibid.
19. Ibid.
20. Ibid.
21. Ibid.
22. Ibid.
23. Ibid.
24. Muth, Ibid.

Bibliography

American Academy of Family Physicians. “Hydration for Athletes.” Family Doctor. Last modified May 2017. https://familydoctor.org/athletes-the-importance-of-good-hydration/

Muth, Nathalie Digate. “Nutrition Spotlight: Fueling for Performance…with Coconut Water? “Nutrition Spotlight: Fueling for Performance…with Coconut Water? ACE December, 2010. http://www.ncaa.org/health-and-safety/nutrition-and-performance/fueling-performance-how-proper-timing-meals-affects-both

NCAA.org. SCAN Dieticians. “Fueling for Performance: How Proper Timing of Meals Affects Both Sport and Academic Performance.” Last updated: August 6, 2013. http://www.ncaa.org/health-and-safety/nutrition-and-performance/fueling-performance-how-proper-timing-meals-affects-both

Skerett, Patrick J. “Trade Sports Drinks for Water.” Harvard Health [Blog]. Posted July 30, 2012, 1:07 pm EST.  http://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/trade-sports-drinks-for-water-201207305079

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