Pick up know-how for tackling diseases, pests and weeds.
Farm bill, farm marketing, agribusiness webinars, & farm policy.
Find tactics for healthy livestock and sound forages.
Scheduling and methods of irrigation.
Explore our Extension locations around the state.
Commercial row crop production in Arkansas.
Agriculture weed management resources.
Use virtual and real tools to improve critical calculations for farms and ranches.
Learn to ID forages and more.
Explore our research locations around the state.
Get the latest research results from our county agents.
Our programs include aquaculture, diagnostics, and energy conservation.
Keep our food, fiber and fuel supplies safe from disaster.
Private, Commercial & Non-commercial training and education.
Specialty crops including turfgrass, vegetables, fruits, and ornamentals.
Find educational resources and get youth engaged in agriculture.
Gaining garden smarts and sharing skills.
Timely tips for the Arkansas home gardener.
Creating beauty in and around the home.
Maintenance calendar, and best practices.
Coaxing the best produce from asparagus to zucchini.
What’s wrong with my plants? The clinic can help.
Featured trees, vines, shrubs and flowers.
Ask our experts plant, animal, or insect questions.
Enjoying the sweet fruits of your labor.
Herbs, native plants, & reference desk QA.
Growing together from youth to maturity.
Crapemyrtles, hydrangeas, hort glossary, and weed ID databases.
Get beekeeping, honey production, and class information.
Grow a pollinator-friendly garden.
Schedule these timely events on your gardening calendar.
Equipping individuals to lead organizations, communities, and regions.
Guiding communities and regions toward vibrant and sustainable futures.
Guiding entrepreneurs from concept to profit.
Position your business to compete for government contracts.
Find trends, opportunities and impacts.
Providing unbiased information to enable educated votes on critical issues.
Increase your knowledge of public issues & get involved.
Research-based connection to government and policy issues.
Support Arkansas local food initiatives.
Read about our efforts.
Preparing for and recovering from disasters.
Licensing for forestry and wildlife professionals.
Preserving water quality and quantity.
Cleaner air for healthier living.
Firewood & bioenergy resources.
Managing a complex forest ecosystem.
Read about nature across Arkansas and the U.S.
Learn to manage wildlife on your land.
Soil quality and its use here in Arkansas.
Learn to ID unwanted plant and animal visitors.
Timely updates from our specialists.
Eating right and staying healthy.
Ensuring safe meals.
Take charge of your well-being.
Cooking with Arkansas foods.
Making the most of your money.
Making sound choices for families and ourselves.
Nurturing our future.
Get tips for food, fitness, finance, and more!
Understanding aging and its effects.
Giving back to the community.
Managing safely when disaster strikes.
Listen to our latest episode!
August is here and along with that comes going back to school and preparation for fall sports and events, including two-a-day practices. Combine that with high temperatures and that can form a deadly scenario if not handled properly.
TEXARKANA, Ark. –
August is here and along with that comes going back to school and preparation for fall sports and events, including two-a-day practices. Combine practice twice a day with high temperatures, sweat and heat indexes above the 100 degree mark, and that can form a deadly scenario if not handled properly.
Water is the most important thing you can have with you. It is calorie free, doesn’t cost anything (if you fill your own bottle or thermos) and does wonders for performance. Unfortunately, the most common beverage you will likely find at these practices is sports drinks, not water.
What could be wrong with sports drinks? They replace electrolytes, right? Electrolytes are salts and minerals that conduct electricity in the body. If our body doesn’t have enough electrolytes, it can affect our muscles, causing them to not contract correctly. That includes our leg muscles, arm muscles, or even heart muscle. Our body does a great job of balancing electrolytes by keeping them when we need them and disposing of them when we do not. When we sweat a lot, we lose additional electrolytes and it becomes very important to replace them. But does drinking sports drinks exclusively do us any good?
Why should you not drink sports drinks exclusively? They generally have a lot of ingredients that claim to give you more energy, and they claim that they prevent dehydration, but do they really? If you are properly fueling your body and eating a well-balanced sports diet, you won’t need the pick me up the sports drink claims to give you.
If you are going to hydrate with sports drinks, be smart in your choice. You should not drink sports drinks exclusively. Hydrate with water first, it should be your first drink of choice. If you do choose to have a sport drink, have one and hydrate the rest with water. Check the ingredient list on the bottle and the serving size. There should be no more than 6-7 carbohydrates per serving. For every four grams of sugar, you are consuming 1 teaspoon of sugar. Let’s say you are consuming a sports drink that contains 3 servings per bottle, with 16 grams of sugar. Seems simple enough until you realize you have to multiply that 16 grams of sugar times three. You now are consuming 48 grams of sugar in each bottle. To complicate that even more, we know that there is one teaspoon of sugar in four grams of sugar. So now we will divide our 48 grams of sugar by 4, since we know there are 4 grams of sugar equals a teaspoon and we have 12 teaspoons of sugar in one bottle of sports drink. So basically, if you were to measure out the 12 teaspoons of sugar, you would have one fourth cup of sugar. Is that really what you want to put in your body after strenuous exercise or practice?
Water is essential for our bodies to function properly, and a great moisturizer for our skin and body. Our body is said to be about 60 to 70 percent water. Our muscles, lungs, brain, and blood all contain water. We need water to regulate our body temperature and to carry nutrients to all our organs. It also transports oxygen to our cells, removes waste, and protects our joints and organs.
Don’t wait until you feel thirsty to drink something. If you are thirsty, you may have already begun the dehydration process. Sometimes the brain doesn’t get the signal that you are thirsty.
Make sure that water is handy at home as well as practice. Fill a container with tap water and put it in the fridge for the next time someone is looking for an ice-cold thirst quencher.
Although it is extremely rare in healthy adults, it is possible to drink too much water. If you are concerned about drinking too much or too little water, let your doctor help you determine the amount that is best for you.
If you have questions, contact me at the University of Arkansas Division of Agriculture, Miller County Extension office.
By Carla Haley-Hadley County Extension Agent - FCSThe Cooperative Extension ServiceU of A System Division of Agriculture
Media Contact: Carla Haley-Hadley County Extension Agent - FCSU of A Division of AgricultureCooperative Extension Service400 Laurel Street, Suite 215 Texarkana AR 71854 (870) 779-3609 chaley@uada.edu
The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service is an equal opportunity/equal access/affirmative action institution. If you require a reasonable accommodation to participate or need materials in another format, please contact your County Extension office (or other appropriate office) as soon as possible. Dial 711 for Arkansas Relay. The Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service offers its programs to all eligible persons regardless of race, color, sex, gender identity, sexual orientation, national origin, religion, age, disability, marital or veteran status, genetic information, or any other legally protected status, and is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity Employer.