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CHICAGO — The Gatorade Co. has partnered with the National Football League (NFL) and Major League Soccer (MLS) for the "Gatorade Beat the Heat" educational campaign.
The PepsiCo sports drink brand said this week that the campaign, now in its ninth year, is designed to raise awareness among athletes, parents and coaches on how proper hydration can help reduce heat-related illnesses during athletic activity.
Gatorade worked with experts in hydration and heat safety to create the Gatorade Heat Safety Kit, an educational resource for heat safety tips and advice. The kit provides recommendations for athletes, parents and coaches to lessen the chance of heat illness this summer.
The Gatorade Heat Safety Kit will be available for free download on gatorade.com, nfl.com and mlssoccer.com.
"Losing even a relatively small amount of body fluid can impact performance and make it more difficult for the body to adapt to activity and warm weather," stated Mark Kovacs, director of the Gatorade Sports Science Institute (GSSI). "The Beat the Heat program gives us and these great partner organizations a timely opportunity to remind and educate athletes, parents and coaches about the importance of proper hydration during the hot summer months."
Although dehydration is a risk across all types of youth sports during the summer, GSSI research found that as many as 70% of high-school football players showed up for practice inadequately hydrated. Research also shows that dehydration or poor hydration increases the risk for heat illness.
"Athletes and coaches on all levels need to pay close attention to the warning signs of heat-related illnesses because safety should not be risked in the name of competition," commented Roberta Anding, sports dietitian for the NFL’s Houston Texans. "There are a number of important nutrients lost through sweat so drinks that contain electrolytes to help retain and regulate fluids are very important."
