Great Information To Share With Team About Dehydration!

[Just A Dad]

This was sent to me by a friend and coach. Great info to share with the girls so that they can monitor themselves as well and look for signs of dehydration.


Ways to Know You’re Dehydrated


Your Mouth is Dry and your Tongue is Swollen
The No. 1 sign that you’re not sufficiently hydrated is probably the most obvious: you’re thirsty. The mouth dries out and your tongue becomes slightly swollen and as your body cries out for hydration-signs that should not be ignored.

Your Urine is Dark Yellow
As blood pressure falls and tissue dries out in the dehydrated individual, the kidneys will kick into action and try to conserve water by concentrating the urine or by stopping the production or urine entirely. As the urine becomes more and more concentrated, its color will become darker and darker until it reaches shades of dark yellow or even amber.

You’re Constipated
Constipation occurs when the colon absorbs too much water and when muscle contractions are slowed. When we’re dehydrated, the colon will try to conserve water and will absorb too much water from our food, causing our stools to become hard and dry. The result is constipation.

You Have Heart Palpitations
The heart needs a healthy and normal body environment in order to function properly. Because the heart is a muscle like any other, with reductions in blood flow and changes in electrolyte concentrations due to dehydration, the timing of our heart can be affected and we may begin to experience abnormalities in the heart’s beating pattern.

You Get Muscle Cramps or Spasms
Proper hydration is extremely important for the active athlete. Although it’s not entirely understood how dehydration affects muscle function, it’s probably related to an imbalance of electrolytes. If we’re chronically dehydrated, we may develop a lasting electrolyte imbalance that can lead to continuous muscle cramping or spasms during or after exercise.

You Feel Lightheaded or Dizzy
With a drop in blood volume and pressure, dehydration can also cause us to feel lightheaded, faint or become dizzy. One of the key signs of dehydration-related dizziness is a sudden rush of lightheadedness when we stand up too quickly, a condition called orthostatic hypotension.

You Feel Tired or Fatigued
When we’re properly hydrated, water moves from our cells into the bloodstream in order to maintain the appropriate amount of blood in our blood vessels and to regulate blood pressure. With chronic dehydration, blood volume and blood pressure may drop such that the oxygen content of blood drops as well. Without proper oxygen, our muscle and nerve functions slow down and we become easily fatigued.

Start hydrating before you get to the park!!

[8888]

Super important point. we always trusted that DD was doing her part around the house and at school with water consumption. Well two days after we returned from the sparkler, she passed out and fell flat on her back at home. Diagnosis,,,, you guessed it "Severe Dehydration". It is preached to the team constantly but I guess they don't take it seriously. Mom and Dad need to be more attentive to this issue. I'm guilty of it but it won't happen again, told DD that if she lets it happen again I will hang the glove in the closet and she can go back to rec. ball. Scary sight to see your baby laid out on the floor like that.

[Katy Cruisers]

I will pass this along to my girls and the parents.

Thanks

[Just A Dad]

Originally Posted by Katy Cruisers

I will pass this along to my girls and the parents.

Thanks

Hope it helps...we had to play 5 straight 1:20 minute games yesterday without a break with 9 girls (had a player out of town). We had our girls drinking constantly. They get mad sometimes at being constantly pushed to drink fluids, but I don't care. I have seen a girl on a former team my DD played for that did not show signs during the tourney, but ended up in the hospital for a week because of heat exhaustion.

Best thing to do is alternate water and Gatoraid.

[Gameon]

One thing to remember hydration should start early the DAY BEFORE !!!!! This is information that my younger DD coach tells all her girls, shes been there with college ball , so start drinking the day before!!!

[Just A Dad]

Originally Posted by Gameon

One thing to remember hydration should start early the DAY BEFORE !!!!! This is information that my younger DD coach tells all her girls, shes been there with college ball , so start drinking the day before!!!

Actually, players should hydrate well all week...not just for softball. If all parents make it a habit to make their children drink water during the week, last minute hydrating is never an issue. If we expect our DD's to perform well, then it is our responsibility to enforce good habits.

I even have my daughter drink at least one Ensure per day. That way I know she is getting something healthy each day. We also encouraged eating veggies when she was young so she orders them on her own now. We do not keep her from enjoying "fun foods", but that is the exception, not the primary thing she eats.

[HotShot]

Very important and can not be discussed enough. We had 4 90 minute games in a row on Sunday and it was HOT!!!! We start reminding our parents to hydrate their DDs in the week. We remind the girls several times during the game that if they are not sweating they are not drinking enough. After our second game I lined them up and had each show me their arm.....anyone that had dry skin we told them they were not dringking enough.

[Just A Dad]

Originally Posted by HotShot

Very important and can not be discussed enough. We had 4 90 minute games in a row on Sunday and it was HOT!!!! We start reminding our parents to hydrate their DDs in the week. We remind the girls several times during the game that if they are not sweating they are not drinking enough. After our second game I lined them up and had each show me their arm.....anyone that had dry skin we told them they were not dringking enough.

We couldn't do that in Baytown...arms were always wet from mosquito spray and sunblock!