It doesn’t matter whether you’re a professional athlete who has to function at the top of your game or a sports fan cheering from the grandstand—hydration is an essential part of maintaining health and performance at sporting events. Hydration is important for athletes, but it’s just as important for spectators. And if you’re an event organizer, keeping everyone hydrated should be at the top of your priority list.
Despite the need for hydration at sporting events, how you hydrate spectators and athletes will vary. Their specific hydration needs differ, and if you try to deal with everyone at an event with a one-size-fits-all solution, you may be asking for trouble.
What should event organizers know about hydration, and what different strategies are available when organizing a sporting event?
Why Hydration Matters
Everyone needs to stay hydrated. Not doing so puts you at risk of a variety of moderate to severe health concerns. Even mild dehydration can cause headaches, confusion, fatigue, and decreased performance.
Athletes must stay hydrated, but it’s just as important for people watching athletic performances to maintain hydration. If you’re organizing an event where people will be watching an athletic performance, you need to consider the hydration needs of both athletes and spectators.
Hydration Needs of Athletes
In an ideal scenario, an athlete will perform at their peak physical capacity during a game or match, which can lead to significant fluid loss. Often, games are played in intense weather conditions, which can cause the body to lose even more liquid than usual.
For some athletes, an hour of gameplay means losing one to three liters of water, depending on temperature, humidity, and the physical demands of their sport. Not managing this fluid loss increases the athlete’s risk of heat exhaustion, muscle cramping, and heat stroke. This puts their game and health at risk.
Event organizers should also remember that athletes lose more than water when performing; they also lose electrolytes like potassium, sodium, and magnesium. This is why enhanced sports drinks like Gatorade became so popular. When planning to hydrate athletes, it’s important to consider their electrolyte needs to maintain proper muscle and nerve function and fluid balance.
A few tips for athletes to know if they’re hydrated during an event include:
- Hydrate before the event, as well as during and after
- Monitor urine color to determine if hydration needs have been met
- Consider alternative methods for reducing dehydration risks, such as providing cooling spaces when they aren’t focused on play
Hydration Needs of Spectators
Although their physical demands aren’t at the caliber of the athletes, people watching sporting events still need to stay hydrated. In some cases, especially when weather conditions are severe, their hydration needs will be enhanced from what they face on a normal day.
It’s also important to take into account that they’re increasing their risk of dehydration by being in the sun, drinking alcohol, and not practicing their usual daily water consumption simply because they are focused on entertainment.
A few tips to keep spectators hydrated during an event include:
- Allowing event attendees to bring a refillable water bottle to the event
- Advertising hydration goals to motivate people to drink
- Encouraging them to consume electrolyte beverages, as well as water
- Educating them about dehydration symptoms
- Limiting dehydration triggers, such as alcoholic beverages
How Hydration Stations Help Athletes and Spectators
One of the simplest solutions for preventing dehydration for both athletes and spectators at a sporting event is hydration stations. These are portable units that provide clean drinking water to everyone onsite. They offer a variety of benefits including:
- Quick and easy access to water: Hydration stations ensure athletes and attendees can quickly refill bottles or grab a drink without long waits.
- Health and safety: By reducing dehydration risks, hydration stations help prevent heat-related illnesses and support overall health.
- Environmental sustainability: Hydration stations encourage the use of refillable bottles, reducing the environmental impact of single-use plastic bottles.
- Cost-effectiveness: Providing free or low-cost water through hydration stations helps reduce the expense of buying bottled water, benefiting both athletes and attendees.
These stations provide easy and convenient access to clean drinking water. They’re easy to operate, and one of the most affordable options event organizers have for keeping everyone healthy, safe, and hydrated. They also serve as a great way of reminding people that hydration is important and that they should drink water throughout the event.
If you’d like to know more about using a portable hydration station at your next sporting event, we can help. Book a quick call to discuss your options.