Water carries nutrients to the body and waste products out of the body. Every process in the body needs water to function properly. You should drink 8-12 glasses of water per day to replace the water lost in breathing, sweating and urine. To avoid dehydration, athletes must drink before, during and after exercise. Young athletes should never take salt tablets.
Salt can cause even greater dehydration to occur.
Dehydration danger signals include fatigue, muscle cramps, dizziness and sudden lack of coordination. Sports drinks and diluted fruit juices are popular with today's youth. And they do offer some advantages. They provide not only water but may also provide carbohydrates and electrolytes that the body needs to replace. In addition, the flavoring may encourage young athletes to drink more.