WA school sports are back. We found tech tools, apps for staying hydrated at practice

It’s August, which means fall sports are already gearing up for the season. But with summer weather still lingering, staying hydrated can be a challenge.

With advances in wearable technology that track everything from energy exertion to heart rate, monitoring yourself while you exercise is easier than ever. But according to Rebecca Lopez, a professor in the athletic training program at the University of South Florida whose research focuses on hydration and heat illness, those advances haven’t quite gotten to the point of replacing traditional methods of hydration monitoring.

“I would say there’s been a lot of opportunities to develop new technologies,” Lopez said in a phone call with McClatchy. “I don’t know that we’ve gotten as far as we want to… Because everything is so new, I definitely think that we still need to rely on the basic physiology.”

But while they’re best used in addition to traditional methods, there are plenty of new tools and technologies out there.

Wearable dehydration monitors

There are a few wearable tech products on the market specifically designed to monitor hydration, like the hDrop and the Liipoo wearable hydration tracker , available online for $249.99. The monitors use your sweat to detect water and electrolyte loss, as well as body temperature, sending data to your phone in real time. Both can be attached easily – the hDrop uses a strap and Liipoo’s monitor uses an adhesive patch.

There are similar products out there at lower price points too, like the $129 Nix Hydration Biosensor , which has the same features but needs the adhesive patch to be replaced after use.

If you’d rather go with a low-tech option, Gatorade’s Gx Sweat Patch is a single-use wearable patch that monitors hydration. The patch changes color depending on how much sweat you’ve lost, and you can then scan it with the Gx app, which will interpret the results for you. But while it was just released in 2021 , you might have trouble finding the patch for sale — it’s currently out of stock on Gatorade’s website, as well as Amazon and Walmart .

Several hydration tracking apps are also out there, although you need to input information about how much you drink in order for them to work. Waterllama is a user favorite, with a rating of 4.9 out of 5 on 97,600 Apple App Store reviews. The app incorporates hydration reminders in addition to its data functions.

Lopez said that more commonly available wearable fitness monitors, which typically track heart rate, can provide hints to how hydrated you are as well.

“I’ve seen a lot of things that hydration does affect heart rate... If they have an elevated heart rate on a given day, even though all other variables are similar, then I would say that… could be something that tells you,” Lopez said.

Latest dehydration research

According to Lopez, the latest research into hydration suggests striking a balance between hydrating with just water and replacing electrolytes as well.

“We went from a place where people used to take salt tablets,” Lopez said. “And then everyone’s like, ‘salt is bad,’ and then it was just water. Then we had a lot of people that were over-hydrating and diluting their sodium, their salt in their blood. So we’re kind of going back to basically replacing what you lose.”

Lopez, who said that most issues stem from athletes arriving at practice already dehydrated , recommends water for shorter periods of exercise, and adding electrolytes for longer workouts.

“So if you’re exercising for a short amount of time, water is probably fine. If you’re exercising for an hour or longer, you’re probably going to want to replace more sodium, other electrolytes.”

Traditional hydration monitoring methods

For all the new technology out there, Lopez said that traditional methods to monitor hydration are still plenty effective.

In particular, she recommends knowing how hydrated you are when you arrive, monitoring urine color, and knowing how your body weight tends to fluctuate so you can tell how much water you lost through sweat.

“I would still say that some of the general ways and the best ways to decide, to know, to figure out somebody’s hydration status are still some of the basic stuff,” Lopez said.

Dehydration tips for Washington

While Washington’s gray skies might make some people think they’re not at risk of dehydration, experts still recommend hydrating properly, especially before exercise and during the warmer months of the year.

According to the Washington Department of Social and Health Services , people should watch for certain symptoms that could be a sign of dehydration, including:

• Headaches
• Fever
• Fatigue
• Dizziness
• Nausea
• Extreme thirst
• Disorientation

Supervisors should offer water, watch for sweat loss and look for ways to make water more appealing or offer other fluids as well, especially when supervising young athletes.