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Estevan Padilla
Pamela Reed
Composition 1
12 September 2015
Importance of Hydration for High School Athletes
Millions of high school students compete in some type of school sanctioned athletic
program each year. During 2010 the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC, addressed
this topic in their August 2010 Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report. The CDC analyzed data
that they obtained from the National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study that
contained data of injuries received or sustained during the 2005 2009 school years.
The National High School Sports-Related Injury Surveillance Study contained data from
the 100 schools that were sampled for this study. This sampled population actually represents
less than one percent, as during this time period there were over 24,000 secondary schools within
the United States. The report surmised that most heat related injuries sustained were related to
football and that they normally occurred during the month of August. The data collected in this
report contained no heat-related deaths.
For the football injuries sustained during this time were from heat exhaustion and directly
related to the athlete not being properly hydrated and/or properly maintaining that hydration
during practice sessions or during actual competitions. It was found that they more often
occurred in areas where the humidity was higher and normally the student athlete could be

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clinically classified as obese. The body of a student athlete with a high BMI is not able to cool
itself down as efficiently due to excess body fat. (Howe and Boden 1392)
The question then becomes, what can student athletes, parents and school officials do
better to prevent these type of injuries. What steps, such as monitoring, preventative measures
can be put into place to insure the safety of our young athletes. This will involve a community
effort, as no one person can accomplish this task by themselves.
The first step is to encourage athletes to hydrate prior to, during and after practice. Before
practice athletes should be encouraged to consume approximately 20 fluid ounces of water or
sports beverage during the preceding 2-3 hours prior to practice or competition. During practice
or competition an athlete needs to consume up to 10 ounces of fluid every 10-20 minutes.
Student athletes should be encouraged to consume fluids prior to becoming thirsty as thirst itself
can be an early indication of dehydration. The athlete then needs to replace the fluids lost during
competition or practice within 2 hours.
To help coaches and trainers monitor a student athletes hydration, the athlete should be
weighed prior to each practice. If an athlete experiences a weight loss in excess of 2% from the
day prior, then that athlete should not be allowed to practice as the weight difference may be an
indication of improper hydration.
The second step to be taken is that student coaches, student athletes and trainers all need
to be aware of the signs and symptoms of dehydration. Some of these symptoms are thirst,
headache, weakness, dizziness, nausea, cramps, chills, vomiting and decreased athletic
performance.

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According to the Arkansas Department of Health they have joined forces with the
Arkansas Activities Association in a joint effort to help prevent exertional heat illness, which is
primarily caused by improper hydration. Each year the Arkansas Activities Association sends out
a letter to Arkansas school districts with packets containing materials to assist each district with
educating their staff, student athletes and parents of the dangers of not having the student athlete
properly hydrated. During this time the staff and the school district will have a mandatory
meeting for all athletes about the importance of proper hydration.
There are signs that we need to look for when our student athletes return to school,
practice and competition that may indicate a heat illness. Heat cramps are probably the earliest
indication that an athlete is suffering from a heat related illness. This normally occurs after
excessive exposure to heat and the person begins to sweat profusely, then add inadequate
hydration to this equation and the muscles begin to spasm. Heat cramps may occur alone or at
the same time as heat exhaustion.
A person doesnt have to show any earlier warning signs before actually suffering from
heat exhaustion, which is a:
condition in which core body temperature is between 37C (98.6F) and 40C (104F),
heat exhaustion often presents with malaise, fatigue, and dizziness. Heavy sweating is
classically noted as well as nausea, vomiting, headache, fainting, weakness, and cold or
clammy skin (Howe and Boden 1385).
Heat exhaustion can lead to a heat stroke if the signs are not identified and the condition
is left untreated. A heat stroke is characterized by the following both an elevated core
temperature of 40C or greater and central nervous system (CNS) disturbance (irritability, ataxia,

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confusion, coma). In the setting of suspected heat illness with a temperature below 40C and
mental status changes, (Howe and Boden 1385) and if these symptoms are exhibited treatment
should begin, even while evaluating for possible other illnesses. Treatment for heat stroke
should be initiated while evaluating for other conditions. With this potentially fatal condition,
prompt recognition and treatment offers the best chance of survival. (Howe and Boden 1385)
There are two types of heat strokes, classic and exertional. The environment plays a
major part in classic heat strokes because it affects the persons ability to dissipate heat, (Howe
and Boden 1385) for example staying outside in extreme heat and humidity could cause you to
have a classic heat stroke. Whereas exertional heat strokes can occur in any type of environment
and all different types of weather with contributing factors being the physical activity you are
performing in addition to the human bodys natural propensity to produce energy, thereby
increasing the bodys core temperature.
Improper hydration leading to a heat related illness can result in physical and mental
injury, in addition to death. However a couple of hours before practices, high school athletes can
reduce the chances of this happening by hydrating properly. This can be accomplished by
learning about the amounts of liquid a student athlete should consume prior to, during and after
practice or competition.
Even though the CDC only did this study over 100 high schools and didnt have any heat
related deaths due to improper hydration, it is only a small proportion of the high schools that are
in the United States. With this being said it doesnt accurately reflect the heat related illnesses
that have occurred in other high schools across the United States that were not reported. More
work is needed to accurately track and identify these heat related illness, injuries, and deaths
from poor hydration.

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Works Cited
"Heat Illness Among High School Athletes -- United States, 2005-2009." MMWR: Morbidity &
Mortality Weekly Report 59.32 (2010): 1009-1013. CINAHL Complete. Web. 15 Sept.
2015
"Fueling the School-Aged Athlete- Drink to Keep Hydrated." Nutrition Fact Sheet- Nfsmi.org.
NFSMI- The University of Mississippi, 2009. Web. 13 Sept. 2015.
<http://nfsmi.org/documentlibraryfiles/pdf/20090925011512.pdf>.
Howe, Allyson S., MD, and Boden, Barry P., MD. "Heat-Related Illness in Athletes - Team
Physician's Corner." Uchicago.edu. The American Journal of Sports Medicine, Aug.
2007. Web. 13 Sept. 2015. (1385 and 1392)
<https://pedclerk.uchicago.edu/sites/pedclerk.uchicago.edu/files/uploads/heat.pdf>.
"Fluid Replacement Guidelines and Exertional Heat Illnesses." Athletic Trainers Society of New
Jersey (2012): 1-6. 16 Mar. 2012. Web. 19 Sept. 2015.
<http://atsnj.org/documents/pdf/ATSNJ_Fluid_Replacement_Guidelines_and_Exertional
_Heat_Illnesses.pdf>.
"Exertional Heat Illness Project." ADH: Exertional Heat Illness Project. Arkansas Department of
Health, n.d. Web. 04 Oct. 2015.
<http://www.healthy.arkansas.gov/programsServices/hsLicensingRegulation/EmsandTrau
maSystems/Pages/EHI.aspx>.
"Arkansas Activities Association." Sports Medicine. Arkansas Activities Association, n.d. Web.
04 Oct. 2015. <http://www.ahsaa.org/activity/73/sports-medicine>.