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Beware of Encouraging Young Athletes to Over-Drink

By Lindsey Barton Straus, Mom's Team, 07/18/18, 12:00PM PDT

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It takes some education to help athletes find the sweet spot. Hyponatremia and heat stroke are two of the most important conditions to be concerned about during sport, and hydration plays a role in both.

new article in the New York Times quotes Kevin Miller, an associate professor of athletic training at Central Michigan University and MomsTEAM contributor as saying that "best advice about how to keep young athletes healthy during warm-weather practices 'is common sense."  

"Don't urge athletes to drink if they aren't thirsty. And don't make them keep playing if they aren't feeling well," he says.

Miller's concern is that coaches and parents who press young athletes to drink fluids before, during and after a practice, whether the athletes feel thirsty or not, may be putting young athletes at risk of drinking too much water, which can result in a dangerous, life-threatening condition called hyponatremia.