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Absolutely! In order to perform at your peak, you need to keep your body hydrated. When you exercise, your body loses fluid through sweat. If you lose too much fluid and become dehydrated, you can become tired, your heart can be stressed, and you can even suffer from heat stroke. The best way to stay hydrated is to drink a lot of water before, during, and after exercise.

2. What is the difference between water and sports drinks?

Both water and sports drinks are important to keep you healthy. When you exercise you sweat and sweat is made out of a combination of water and electrolytes which contain salts such as sodium, chloride, and potassium (that is why skin tastes salty after sweat dries). Drinking water will replace the water lost when you sweat but what about those salts? In order to replace those, you need to ingest electrolytes and sports drinks are a great source.

3. How does food affect my energy level when I'm doing something athletic?

In order to stay healthy during a game, you have to be very careful about what you eat. The best pre-game foods you can eat are complex carbohydrates (toast, cereal, bagels, bananas). These foods digest slowly to give you long-term energy. If you don't have enough energy you are more likely to lose concentration and injure yourself so energy boosting food is a must. Before a game, you should also try to avoid foods that either upset your stomach (such as spicy food) or may give you short-term energy. Foods high in sugar may give you a quick energy fix but once it wears off, you'll rebound and end up with less energy than you had before you ate anything.

4. Can the temperature put me at risk for injury?

When doing anything athletic, it is very important that you pay attention to how hot it is. Heat illness is a serious problem that can sideline an athlete for the game or even end a career. The main symptoms are dehydration, dry mouth, lightheadedness, headache, fatigue, muscle cramps, shortness of breath, high body temperature, nausea, and incoherence. Luckily, heat illness is preventable, if you follow these tips: warm up in the shade instead of in direct sunlight, take breaks whenever possible, wear loose fitting and light colored clothing, and drink plenty of fluids.

5. Why do I need to stretch?

You can prevent many sports injuries by properly stretching before and after you exercise. Stretching has two main benefits. First, it increases your flexibility. Being flexible can help you stay healthy because it gives you a bigger range of movement. That means that your limbs and joints can move further before they get hurt. Second, stretching helps keep your muscles and tendons in good working order which, in turn, means that they won't fatigue as quickly. Most sports injuries happen when the muscles are tired so keeping them conditioned through stretching can help keep them safe.

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6. Can lifting weights help keep me from getting injured?

Yes! Lifting weights is great cross training for just about every sport. When you lift weights properly, you build stronger muscles. These stronger muscles will come in very handy because the stronger a muscle is, the better it will absorb impact. By taking the impact themselves, strong muscles help to protect joints and bones against injury.

7. What are shinsplints and how can I avoid them?

The term "shinsplint" is actually a general name for any kind of serious pain felt down the front of the leg - from the knee to the ankle. Usually the pain is caused by inflammation of the lining that wraps around the tibia or of tendons in that area. No matter what is actually happening inside your leg, this injury is usually caused by overtraining, improper shoes, or a lack of flexibility. In order to prevent shinsplints, be sure to rest your legs as often as possible, wear shoes specially designed for the activity you are doing, and stretch, stretch, stretch!

8. Do only athletes get athletes foot?

Anyone can get the fungus known as athlete's foot but it got its name for a reason. This fungus grows in warm, moist places and sweaty socks and sneakers make a perfect home. In order to avoid getting athlete's foot, you have to create an environment in which the fungus can't live. In other words, keep your feet cool and dry. Here are some tips: after a shower, make sure to towel dry in between each and every toe, wear acrylic fiber socks instead of cotton because they help draw moisture away from the skin, and wear shoes made of a material like canvas since that allows your feet to breathe.

9. There are so many different kinds of sneakers, which ones are best for me?

The proper shoes are very important in injury prevention because they can provide just the right amount of support. Every kind of sport has different requirements. For example, running shoes should be lightweight, supportive, and flexible. They should have lots of cushioning in the arch and sole to protect your feet from the pounding they get as you run. Walking shoes should flexible, like running shoes, but they can be a bit heavier since you don't need to go as fast in them. Soccer shoes should have a reinforced toe to protect your feet from kicking, cleats for gripping the field, and a support system that can help prevent ankle sprains and knee injuries. Basketball shoes should provide support for the side to side movement players need to have to be able to get around the court and extra support to guard against ankle sprains.

10. Do I really need to warm up before exercising?

You bet! If you try to play a sport cold, you risk injury because your muscles aren't prepared. Instead, take some time to walk, jog, and stretch before you do any hard exercise. By taking the time to warm up, you accomplish a lot. For example, you are increasing the temperature of your muscles which helps them work at their best, increasing blood flow and oxygen to your muscles, increasing the speed of nerve impulses which makes you faster, and increasing your range of motion at joints reducing the risk of injuries such as strained muscles and torn ligaments

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11. Do I really need to cool down after exercising?

Lots of athletes think their day is over as soon as they stop exercising but they are overlooking one of the most important steps - the cool down. Taking the time to jog gently, walk, and stretch after hard exercise is crucial because it gradually lowers the heart rate, circulates blood and oxygen to muscles, restoring them to the condition they were in before exercise, and reduces the risk of muscle soreness.

12. Can my sports equipment prevent injury?

Think of your equipment as the last line of defense between you and injury. If that line of defense is weak, you will end up hurt but if it is strong, you will be safe. This is especially true for protective gear like helmets, pads, and shoes. It is especially important to check this equipment before you put it on to make sure that it is all in good shape so that it can properly absorb the shock it needs to in order to protect you. In addition, it is also important to make sure that other equipment such as tennis rackets, baseball bats, bicycles, and skates are all in working order. If you see anything wrong, make sure that it is fixed or replaced before you attempt anything that might get you or someone else hurt.

13. I don't need to wear helmets or pads when I am just practicing, do I?

Always wear your protective gear, even if you are just practicing. Whether you are biking or rollerblading by yourself or participating in a soccer or football team practice, you need to make sure that you stay healthy. Injuries can happen even when you are just playing around for fun so you need to treat every practice like it is a real game

14. What is an overuse injury?

Overuse injuries are the result of repetitive trauma to the tendons, bones, and joints and they develop slowly over time. Common examples include tennis elbow which is caused but the continual pounding that the elbow takes when a player hits the ball, swimmer's shoulder which is caused by the repetitive movements a swimmer makes as he or she strokes up and down the pool, and runner's knee which is caused by the stress that continual running puts on the knee joint. Overuse injuries usually occur when an athlete tries to do too much too soon, without giving his or her body a chance to recover. So, if you feel one of these injuries coming on, take a break, let your body rest, and chances are you will be able to avoid being seriously hurt.

15. My mouth can't get injured, can it?

Yes it can! According to the National Youth Sports Safety Foundation, more than five million teeth are knocked out each year during sporting activities. There is a way you can help save your pearly whites though. Research shows that athletes who wear mouth protection are seven times less likely to be injured than those who don't. Mouth guards and face masks provide a barrier for objects like pucks, balls, and flying elbows so wear them to protect your smile.

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16. Is the most common sports injury a broken bone?

No. Broken bones only make up about 15% of all of the sports injuries reported each year. Much more common injuries are muscle strain which is caused by overuse and by not stretching and warming up properly, ankle and knee sprains which can be caused by falling, twisting, or being hit, and eye injuries which are caused when an athlete's eye is hit or scratched.

17. What is R.I.C.E.?

R.I.C.E. is an acronym that describes how you should treat most sports injuries. The "R" stands for rest so the first thing you need to do is to stop moving. Further activity can cause pain because it increases blood flow to the injury. By resting, you are reducing the blood flow and also reducing the possibility of further injuring yourself. The "I" stands for ice so the next thing you need to do is to apply an ice pack to the injury. This step is necessary because ice decreases both swelling and pain. The "C" stands for compression so the third thing you need to do is to wrap the injury in a firm bandage. Compression is important because it stops bleeding and it also helps to reduce swelling. Finally, the "E" stands for elevate so the fourth thing you need to do it to raise the injured area above the level of your heart. By elevating the injury above your heart, you will decrease bleeding, swelling, and pain.

18. Why do some sports cause more injuries than others?

While people can injure themselves playing any sport, some are definitely considered more dangerous than others. Specifically, sports that include contact - either between two people or between a person and a hard surface such as ice or concrete - generate the most injuries each year. For example, research shows that bicycle crashes, football tackles, and falls off of trampolines account for most bruises, sprains, and breaks. The good news is that with the proper equipment, training, and supervision, you can avoid being seriously hurt.

19. Is sunburn a kind of sports related injury?

Yes, but that goes for suntans as well. Both tans and burns are the skin's way of reacting to harmful ultraviolet rays. In the short term, a bad sunburn can limit your ability to move, making you more prone to getting injured while being active. In the long term, too much exposure to the sun can cause skin cancer. Luckily, there is a lot you can do to prevent skin injuries. Just follow these tips: whenever possible, keep your skin covered in clothing made out of a tightly woven fabric to keep out the harmful rays, always put sunscreen (SPF 15 or higher) on all exposed skin, reapply your sunscreen often, especially if you have been sweating or swimming.

20. Are there special things I need to worry about if I am doing outdoor sports in the winter?

Yes there are. Whether you are skiing, skating, or sledding, your first concern needs to be to protect yourself from the cold. The first thing you need to do is dress in layers. This will allow you to take come clothing off as you start to work up a sweat - and yes, you can sweat even in the freezing cold. Don't take off too many layers though - even though your body is heating up, it is still exposed to the cold and it needs to be protected. Make sure that your extremities - that is, your fingers and toes - are covered at all times because they are more likely to suffer from frostbite. Finally, even though it is cold out, wear sunscreen! Sunlight reflects off of snow and can affect your skin just as much in the winter as it can in the summer.

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