Hydration

[834k3r]

Worked a 15U double-header yesterday; temps started in the low 80s but finished in the mid-90s. I had first plate and was BU for the second game. Had a good game (some of those kids had terrific sliders!). Took drinks of water from my 32oz Yeti water bottle after each half inning; it was empty when we started the 7th (home team was ahead and won, so the bottom half was a non-issue).

Went back to our vehicles after game 1, changed clothes for the second game, refilled my water bottle, and started the second game. I started off really well, good positioning and making good calls on plays. In the fourth inning, lead off batter drew a walk and I trotted over to B as I watched BR touch 1B; felt unusually out of breath once I got to B. As the pitcher came set, so did I going down hands on knees, watching the pitcher. Vision started graying out. "Oh, [adult word]," I thought to myself. After the pitch was delivered, I stood and took some deep breaths. Things got better, or so I thought. That second batter got on base as well, and as we all know with R1 and R2, I move to C. Pitcher comes set, so do I. The pitcher made a really good pickoff move to second, and I do a good job of reading the pickoff and pivoting to the play at second. I had the runner out, but for some reason I waited...and waited to make the call. Throw out the hammer. Two sentences from the dugout "what were you thinking?" (assume that was for R2) and "it took you like 5 minutes to make that call!"

After that half inning I took a couple large swigs of water from my bottle, but I was behind the hydration curve. My mental fog was real and fighting it took conscious effort for the last three innings of the game. 

I typically try to drink before games, but I'm wary of drinking too much because I don't want to be that umpire that has to find the port-a-potty during the middle of a game. I obviously didn't drink enough before the games, and paid for it during the second game. I need to get a bigger water bottle for hotter games.

[Thunderheads]

I drink, on a regular basis (day to day), about 1/2 gallon of water per day, at least.  When I know I'm going to be outside in the heat, I start hydrating more 2 days before the event.  Water before, water during, gatorade or other recovery style drinks afterwards (not during).  Hydration days will be a gallon of water easily ....

I'm talking a sip of water after every full inning, it's just a habit.

[Velho]

Glad you're ok @834k3r

If water itself isn't proving to be enough for you, no matter how much, the adders like LMNT, Propel, Nunn, etc. have worked well for me.

I've also found that Sea/Pink salt first thing in the morning gives me something different that none of those do

.

[834k3r]

I appreciate it @Thunderheads, and I appreciate the concern @Velho. I always thought I was hydrating enough and it wasn't a big deal--until it was.

I guess I was posting this not just as a "war story" but a cautionary tale for anyone to read. It pays to be proactive for sure.

[Velho]

4 hours ago, 834k3r said:

I guess I was posting this not just as a "war story" but a cautionary tale for anyone to read. It pays to be proactive for sure.

100% (and my resposne was for those folks as well).

After barely stumbling to the dugout in fall ball last year (on plate, low 80s, humid, been sick the prior two days) I can surely relate.

One thing I learned (I hope I learned) is not to 'tough it out'.

 

[Catch18]

You know what lifeguards and rescue swimmers say about going in? Save yourself first. Because if that guy goes down, no one saves the victim.

Who cares if you take a piss. “Hey Coach Mike, needed a quick break to empty it. Been hydrating like crazy this week so I be in top form for you guys.” Let him complain about it, who cares? You’re no good going down, just to be able to say you didn’t need a potty break.

Glad you’re well now, heat issues can really take their toll. I’d recommend starting AT LEAST mid-week on ramping up the hydration/electrolyte storing. I also really liked when I brought more fruit & veggies to snack on between games during long tournaments. Didn’t feel too full (instead of the standard chips, sugary granola bars, etc) yet got a lot of good vitamins, minerals, blah blah blah. Stay healthy, my friend!!

[834k3r]

13 hours ago, Catch18 said:

You know what lifeguards and rescue swimmers say about going in? Save yourself first. Because if that guy goes down, no one saves the victim.

Who cares if you take a piss. “Hey Coach Mike, needed a quick break to empty it. Been hydrating like crazy this week so I be in top form for you guys.” Let him complain about it, who cares? You’re no good going down, just to be able to say you didn’t need a potty break.

Glad you’re well now, heat issues can really take their toll. I’d recommend starting AT LEAST mid-week on ramping up the hydration/electrolyte storing. I also really liked when I brought more fruit & veggies to snack on between games during long tournaments. Didn’t feel too full (instead of the standard chips, sugary granola bars, etc) yet got a lot of good vitamins, minerals, blah blah blah. Stay healthy, my friend!!

You're right, of course. Pride goes before the fall, so I've heard.  :-)

Thing is--and this is the main takeaway for me--I didn't feel dehydrated. I didn't feel like I was sweating a lot, and my biggest symptom was the brain fog. As a veteran, I was trained on casualty care (including dehydration), but it was different having it happen personally.

[Mudisfun]

Had a slightly different issue last summer. Same deal, double header, hot as hell... worked the first game on the bags and the 2nd on the dish. Hydrated like crazy during the 2nd game; like 6-7 water bottles by the end of the game. Sometime around the 5th inning I started noticing my fine motor muscles starting to cramp. Finger cramp, rib cramps, small of my back cramps, etc...

At the end of the game, I am in full heat exhaustion. Major muscle cramps walking back to the car, lack of sweating, head ache, etc... turned on the car/AC, dumped a gallon straight over my head after stripping the shirt and CP (soaked my pants which were already soaked) and started hydrating with more water, Cramps subsided, drove the 45 minutes home and as I walked in my wife asked "did you have fun?", said no, and almost immediately started cramping up all over again. Hydrated and fought cramps for the next 2 hours until I got evened out.

Chatted with a buddy of mine who we call Doc because, well, he is a medical doctor... never said we were imaginative. We discussed hydration versus mineral, electrolyte replenishment and how I screwed the pooch on that one. The cramping was all lack of replenishing salts, magnesium and potassium as well as sugars and some other vitals.

Went to the store and started looking at what products were available... Found Pedialyte as a great option as well as Electrolit which is a sports drink sold right by the other ones in the soda aisle. The difference is this product actually has a ton of replenishment value versus drinks like Gatorade. Also, when working multiple games, I try and bring a bunch of Orange Juice for between games as it replenishes a ton of what I lost in the heat.

Basically, ever since this happened last year, I started paying attention to not only proper hydration but replenishment,. In the intervening time, I have not had an issue. Worked an 8 game set a few weeks back over a weekend in 90+ degrees, and other than having to pee a ton, I had zero issues with cramping. Do I recommend 8 games in a weekend, nope... did it for vacation fun money.

Bottom line... hydration is only part of the issue. You need to replenish your whole body.