The Spanish Journal of Community Nutrition (RENC) has just published a paper that studies fluid intake in 564 schoolchildren aged nine to 12 years. By relating this result to the physical activity of children, it has been observed that the 91 percent of them fail to cover adequate fluid intake.
According to the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), the reference values are 1600 milliliters per day between four and eight years, and between nine and 13 years: 1900 ml / day for boys and 2100 for girls
We are told from the RENC that poor hydration, in addition to influencing health and mood, It can affect the physical and cognitive performance of children. It is the responsibility of adults to ensure that children have water on hand to meet their daily needs.
It is said that children forget the intake of fluids while doing any type of physical activity, although this is something that I have not yet checked personally, neither with my children nor with their circle of friends. In fact, according to our experience, the bottles return empty from school and excursions, and the children periodically return home to drink water. Of course, the fact that they drink, does not mean that they do it in sufficient quantity, something that would be important to monitor especially if they make efforts of any kind (also worth playing).
What is true is that there are some that you see that they usually drink soda or packaged juices.
It is also advised to increase the consumption of water-rich foods, especially in hot weather, and especially fruits and vegetables.
Coinciding with the research of the RENC, another European entity (the European Hydration Institute) comes to remember that being well hydrated, improves concentration, so it is interesting to follow these recommendations in school-age children.
Remember that it is now more important than ever to check the bottles in the wallet to ensure they are full, and the canteens of the bicycles, as well as bring enough water to our family outings.
