Hydration & physical activity: How much water does your child need

Drinking water may seem to be a simple act and even an irrelevant act for children, but as we already know water is the most important nutrient in the body. Water boosts energy, delivers important nutrients to all of our cells, especially muscle cells, postponing muscle fatigue. Children are particularly at risk of becoming dehydrated because a child’s body is less effective at perspiring and produces more heat during physical exertion.

How much water do kids need to stay hydrated?

• Boys and girls aged 4-8 years need 1.1 to 1.3 liters per day
• Girls aged 9-13 years need 1.3 to 1.5 liters per day.
• Boys aged 9-13 years need 1.5 to 1.7 liters per day

In case parents are finding it hard to make their children reach the limit, they can add fruits cut into different shapes in each glass of water to make it look more attractive or include fruits with high water content (like oranges, watermelons, strawberries, pineapples etc.) to their diet as snacks. It also helps in being a role model, kids copy a lot of habits from their parents so parents are also encouraged to drink water often. To learn other ways to make your kid drink water, click here 

Signs of hydration in children;

1. Frequent passing of urine
2. Passes stool regularly
3. Urine colour would be clear or light yellow
4. They seem to be in a lighter, happier mood

Parents could also look for some signs of dehydration in their children to know when they need to rehydrate their children.

Signs of dehydration in children;

1. Dry lips and mouth
2. Less than normal passing of urine 
3. Constipation
4. Urine colour would have a darker shade of yellow
5. Mood will be down or irritable 

Importance of water during physical activity for kids 

1. Dry lips and mouth
2. Less than normal passing or urine
3. Constipation
4. Urine colour would have a darker shade of yellow to yellowish orange
5. Mood would become more down and irritable

Hydration during physical activity for children

Importance of hydration during physical activity for children

It is important to stay constantly hydrated during any sport and physical activity because constant physical activity with no hydration could lead to dehydration which can cause heat illness (heat cramps, heat exhaustion, heatstroke) muscle cramps, quick tiredness, Hard and fast heartbeat, decreased aerobic endurance, strength, power, speed, agility and reaction time. 

Some Benefits of staying hydrated includes;

1. Improving heart health by maintaining blood pressure during exercise so your heart doesn’t work harder to maintain normal blood pressure.
2. Cooling body temperature 
3. Making Muscles and joint to function better by acting as a lubricant in the joints and muscles
4. Promoting filtering of waste product from the blood and muscles to be excrete it in urine

Best way to keep your child hydrated

Packing a reusable water bottle for your child is a good way for them to always have some water on hand. But when it comes to physical activity, hydrating calls for planning ahead.

1. Increase your child’s fluid intake about four hours before any sport and/or physical activity
2. Rehydrate them about every 15 to 30 minutes during any sport and physical activity. If you know you won’t get a chance, pre-activity hydrating is especially important.
3. For early morning games, start increasing hydration the day before.
4. Children need to be watched for signs of heat illness and their fluid intake needs to be supervised.

 Use a sports drink after the game to replace not just fluids, but electrolytes, protein and carbohydrates. Look for sports drinks with four main ingredients: water, carbohydrate (such as sucrose and dextrose), sodium and potassium.

Reference

BBC Good food https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.bbcgoodfood.com/howto/guide/how-much-water-should-my-children-drink/amp

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