Should My Child Be Drinking Sports Drinks or Just Water? A Wrestling Parent’s Guide to Hydration
- Keep Kids Wrestling Non-Profit
- Apr 6
- 3 min read
When your child starts wrestling, one of the most important—but often overlooked—parts of their performance is hydration. As a parent, you might find yourself standing in the kitchen before practice wondering: Should I pack a sports drink or just stick with plain water?
The answer depends on the intensity of the practice or tournament, the length of the activity, and your child’s individual needs. Wrestling is an intense, physically demanding sport that causes athletes to lose a lot of fluids and electrolytes through sweat. However, not every situation calls for a sports drink, and understanding when to use one—and when to avoid it—can help your child perform better, recover faster, and stay healthy.
Let’s break it down in a simple and clear way so you can make the best decision for your young wrestler.
The Role of Hydration in Wrestling
Wrestling involves high-intensity effort, bursts of strength, constant movement, and sometimes long periods of competition throughout the day. When wrestlers sweat, they lose water and electrolytes, such as sodium, potassium, and magnesium. These are vital for muscle function, nerve communication, and maintaining energy levels.
If a wrestler becomes even slightly dehydrated, it can lead to:
Muscle cramps
Fatigue
Slower reaction time
Dizziness
Decreased focus and mental sharpness
That’s why staying properly hydrated is critical—not just during competition, but throughout the entire day leading up to and following wrestling activities.
When Water Is the Best Option
For most practices and regular training sessions, water is the best and most effective choice. It hydrates the body, helps regulate temperature, and supports normal physical functions without adding extra sugars or calories.
Water should be your child’s main drink:
Before practice or matches to ensure they're starting hydrated.
During regular practices that last under 60 minutes.
Throughout the day, especially if they’ve had a sweaty workout or a long tournament.
If your child eats a balanced diet with fruits, vegetables, and a healthy amount of salt, they’re likely getting enough electrolytes naturally to support typical practices. In these cases, plain water is more than enough to keep them hydrated.
When Sports Drinks Might Be Helpful
There are situations when a sports drink may provide real benefits, especially for wrestlers who are training hard or competing for long periods:
Sports drinks can be useful:
During long tournaments where your child has multiple matches and little time to eat or rest between them.
After intense or extended practices lasting longer than 60–90 minutes.
On very hot or humid days when they sweat more than usual.
If your child struggles to eat solid food after a match but still needs quick energy and electrolytes.
Sports drinks contain a mix of sugar, sodium, and potassium, which help replace what’s lost in sweat and provide quick-digesting carbs for fast energy.
However, it’s important to choose sports drinks wisely. Look for options with:
Moderate sugar content (around 12–18 grams per serving)
No artificial dyes or unnecessary ingredients
Real electrolytes (some drinks are just flavored sugar water)
Brands like BodyArmor, Gatorade Zero, and Liquid I.V. are popular alternatives to the traditional high-sugar versions.
When to Avoid Sports Drinks
Despite their usefulness in certain cases, sports drinks aren’t necessary for every workout or child. Too many sugary drinks can lead to:
Unnecessary calorie intake
Tooth decay
Energy crashes from sugar spikes
Trouble making weight if your child is close to their weight class limit
If your child is practicing for under an hour and not sweating excessively, there is no need for a sports drink. Water will do the job just fine—and it’s cheaper, too.
Hydration Tips for Wrestling Parents
To help your wrestler stay properly hydrated, follow these simple habits:
Start hydrating the night before a tournament or long practice day.
Pack a refillable water bottle and encourage your child to sip regularly.
If using a sports drink, dilute it with water to reduce sugar while still getting electrolytes.
Encourage eating hydrating foods like oranges, cucumbers, and watermelon.
Monitor for signs of dehydration, like dark-colored urine, dry lips, headaches, or sluggishness.
Know Your Child, Know the Situation
So, should your child drink sports drinks or stick with water? The answer is: it depends.
For most practices and average days, water is the best choice—it’s simple, effective, and exactly what the body needs. But in cases of long tournaments, extreme heat, or very intense training, a sports drink can provide quick energy and electrolyte support that plain water can’t offer alone.
As a parent, your job isn’t to stress over every bottle—it’s to help your child build smart habits. Teach them to listen to their body, fuel it with good food, hydrate often, and treat fluids as part of their performance toolbox.
In wrestling, what’s inside the water bottle matters—but what’s inside the wrestler matters more. Stay balanced, stay fueled, and keep growing—on and off the mat.
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