Summer Hydration
With temperatures warming up hydration becomes even more important for kids and adults that are spending time outside in the sun, even more so for those that are ACTIVE.
5 Tips for Staying Hydrated:
1) Aim for a hydration goal—below are general daily fluid recommendations.(1)
- Children:
- 4-8 years: 57.5 oz. (7 cups)
- 9-13 years: Girls 71 oz.(9 cups), Boys 81 oz.(10 cups)
- 14-18 years: Girls 78 oz. (10 cups), Boys 111 oz. (14 cups)
- 19 years or older:
- Females: 91 oz. (11 cups)
- Males: 125 oz. (15 cups)
2) Get a re-usable water bottle—keep it with you and fill it throughout the day. If you don’t keep it with you, you won’t drink it!
- 32 oz. bottle = 4 cups-start refilling it 2x/day and work up to meet your needs!
3) Monitor your hydration—check the urine color at your first bathroom visit of the day
- Lemonade or lighter = Good hydration status
- Apple juice or darker = You need fluids, drink up!
5) For athletes/ACTIVE people—the recommendations above do not include fluids needed to replenish sweat loss during activity. The more you sweat, the more you need!
- Aim for 1-2 gulps of fluid every 15 minutes of activity
- Sports drinks-There is nothing wrong with sports drinks, they just need to be used appropriately. They replenish our body with electrolytes and keep our body fueled with carbohydrates/sugar during intense activity for optimal athletic performance. Sports drinks should be used during activity; not as a drink with meals, and not for young children or low-active adults.
- When should I drink them?
- During high intensity training or workouts
- Is sweat dripping and visible in your hair or on your shirt?
- Long duration sports games, practices, training, or workouts
- Baseball, endurance running or circuit training
Your daily fluids should come mainly from WATER with low-fat milk, or 100% fruit juices to round it out. If you notice that you start to urinate more while increasing the amount of fluids you’re drinking—don’t worry, that’s normal. Your body will adjust to a hydrated state over time and will only be temporary. Making an effort to hydrate more can be an adjustment for some but is well worth it, so drink up!
Contributed by Amanda Poppleton, Bowling Green State University Dietetic Intern
Fluid Recommendations were taken from Institute of Medicine of the National Academies. Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) Tables. Recommended Daily Allowance and Adequate Intake Values: Total Water and Macronutrients. Available at: http://iom.edu/Activities/Nutrition/SummaryDRIs/~/media/Files/Activity%20Files/Nutrition/DRIs/New%20Material/3_RDA%20AI%20AMDR%20Values_Total%20Water%20and%20Macronutr.pdf
