Charts to print and post above every urinal to help players monitor their hydration levels.
Also hydration weigh in and weigh outs. The players weigh themselves and post their weight pre-practice. Following practice they weigh out and record the weight. This helps trainers monitor each player and helps players see how much they are sweating out each day during pre-season camp.
We also picked up this explanation about how to hydrate.
Flash Flood vs. Slow Soak
When a flash flood hits the rain is an intense downpour for a short time. The rain is coming down so fast it doesn't have time to soak in. Most of the water pools and runs off. After this type of rain storm the ground isn't saturated.
A slow soaking rain is a slower consistent rainfall over a longer period of time. When it rains all day, the rain soaks in and saturates the ground.
Chugging water is like a flash flood. The human body can only absorb so much water per hour (approx. 8oz). All the extra water is urinated out. This effect can also fool players into believing they are hydrated. If you chug 20oz of water, 12oz will be urinated out. When that happens the urine will be mostly water and appear in the hydrated zone of the chart above even if the athlete is not fully hydrated.
Slow soak is a better strategy to hydrate. 4-8oz every hour all day long will result in more absorption. This also helps players use their normal urination cycles to monitor their hydration levels.
We are all always looking for little ways to help players stay safe and perform at their best. Hopefully this helps us stay strong in the heat.
