Heat illness and other Sports Injuries

At this time of year I usually get questions about sports injuries including heat-realted illnesses.  As I've mentioned to many parents before, I'm a great fan of the AAP's website for parents-- www.healthychildren.org.

In particular, this website has a whole section dedicated to sports injury prevention and treatment (www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/injuries-emergencies/sports-injuries/Pages/default.aspx).

Making sure that your young athlete pre-hydrates well by drinking >6-8 glasses of water a day, with frequent water breaks during exercise (especially when outside in the heat).  Water is the preferred fluid for hydration when exercising for less than 3 consecutive hours.  In general, commercial sports drinks are not necessary and provide unnecessary calories which can lead to excess weight gain.