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A chart explains how water should be consumed before and during a workout.

Coach's Guide to Nutrition: Hydration

Stay hydrated during exercise. Encourage athletes to take at least 2-3 sips (2-3 ounces) of water every 15 minutes.

Milk Means More logoExercising for more than an hour? Sports drinks can help replace fluid, carbs and electrolytes.

Some athletes do not feel thirsty while they are active, so regular water breaks are important. As always, if they feel thirsty, let them grab a drink. If they feel dizzy, confused or nauseated, they should STOP and tell a coach or teammate. This may indicate they are dangerously dehydrated. Access to water should NEVER be used as a punishment.

Athletes should also look for these symptoms in teammates and remind them to hydrate when necessary. For a more individualized recommendation or for athletes with a cramping history, refer them to a Registered Dietician Nutritionist (RDN).

Dehydration Warning Signs:

  • Cramping
  • Nausea
  • Dizziness
  • Confusion

Information above is excerpted from UDIM’s A Coach’s Guide to Nutrition.

Otsego High School trainer Taylor Austin tracks field conditions Monday during a soccer match.

Heat Ways: School Sports Prepared for Oncoming Wave of High Temps, Humidity

By Geoff Kimmerly
MHSAA.com senior editor

August 27, 2024

With temperatures and humidity expected to rise exceptionally today across most of downstate Michigan, decision-makers across school sports are prepared to take precautions to keep all involved in our activities safe as we ride out this latest heat wave.

The MHSAA’s Model Policy for Managing Heat & Humidity is required only during postseason activities, but has been adopted by several schools across the state for preseason and regular-season practices and competitions.

The plan directs schools to begin monitoring the heat index at the activity site once the air temperature reaches 80 degrees and provides recommendations when the heat index reaches certain points, including ceasing activities when it rises above 104 degrees. (When the temperature is below 80 degrees, there is no combination of heat and humidity that will result in a need to curtail activity.) Other precautions include the addition of mandatory 10-minute water breaks and the removal of equipment (including helmets and shoulder pads in football).

The model heat & humidity policy is outlined in a number of places on the MHSAA Website, including as part of the Heat Ways publication linked on the “Health & Safety” page.

PHOTO Otsego High School trainer Taylor Austin tracks field conditions Monday during a soccer match. (Photo by Gary Shook.)