If an athlete does not work outside during the summer he or she needs to gradually become acclimatized to working in the heat. This means one needs to gradually spend time working, or working out, in the heat. It is not necessary to workout every day in the heat, but no more than 2-3 days should separate any workout. Drinking plenty of fluids is the single, most important thing athletes can do to prevent heat illness. One indicator athletes can use to tell if they are drinking an adequate amount of fluids is the color of their urine.
Clear urine means an athlete is drinking an adequate amount of fluids.
Yellow urine indicates he or she needs to drink more fluids. Expect yellow urine after a practice session, but it should be clear before practice the following day. Sports drinks encourage student-athletes to drink more because of the added flavor. Another advantage of sports drinks over water, is water may actually stimulate urination and cause greater water loss, where sports drinks will not. Finally, water tends to decrease the thirst drive and student-athletes may quit drinking before they are rehydrated.