HEALTHY HYDRATION FOR KIDS IN SPORTS

What is your child athlete drinking to stay hydrated? There seem to be many choices; however, for health-conscious parents, there really aren't. Sports drinks are loaded with sugar, and energy drinks are loaded with sugar and caffeine. Considering how much a thirsty kid can drink, neither of those options are good for their health.

When your children watch television, they see commercials for these drinks that show athletes performing at peak athletic performance supposedly as a result of these sugary drinks. The ads don't talk about the sugar, caffeine, and artificial ingredients that these drinks have and how that can lead to weight gain and increased risk of type 2 diabetes in adults and children.

They also don't talk about the energy and sugar crashes resulting from drinking them during games and sports practices requiring the need for more sugar and caffeine. That is not a healthy cycle to get into, especially at a young age. Sports drinks really aren't OK for children.

WHAT ARE THE HEALTHIEST HYDRATION DRINKS FOR KIDS IN SPORTS

Water - Plain water is often underestimated when it comes to hydration. Especially natural spring water, because spring water still has nature’s minerals in it. Other types of water strips the minerals. The truth is, unless your child is running a cross country marathon or participating in a sports event that will last for hours, water will do the trick. 

If your child doesn't like the taste of water, you can always add some berries, cucumber slices, citrus slices, or melon for flavor. Adding a splash of 100 percent fruit juice to your child's water bottle will contain less sugar than a sports drink.

Oral Hydration Solutions - Oral hydration solutions are designed to maintain or replace electrolytes lost during vigorous exercise, periods of excessive sweating, or vomiting and diarrhea. These solutions replace the salt and minerals that aren't present in plain water when excessive body fluid is lost. The key is to replace the salt and minerals without adding excess sugar or artificial ingredients. Let's take a look at some of the popular over the counter solutions.

• Pedialyte Organic - Pedialyte has 9 grams of sugar per serving, which is 12 ounces. There are 2.8 servings per bottle, which is 28.2 grams of sugar in a liter-sized bottle. The directions state that one to two liters may be needed to rehydrate your child. Total sugars: 28.2 to 56.4 grams.
• Pedialyte Advanced Care Single Serving Powder Packs - These single-serving packets contain 24 grams of sugar per pack mixed with 16 ounces of water. The directions state that 32 to 64 ounces may be needed to restore hydration. Total sugars: 48 to 96 grams.

While using these solutions to hydrate children during sports games or practice, it isn't unusual for them to drink the higher amounts of these drinks as they are likely to be hot and thirsty. A 32-ounce bottle of Gatorade sports drink weighs in at 56.7 grams, so these oral hydrating solutions are no better at controlling the amount of sugar that we are giving our children when they are playing sports.

If drinking 96 - 112 grams of sugars while playing a sport doesn't affect their athletic performance, it is sure to affect the way they feel afterward.