General 4/7/2020 10:39:00 AM Hide Okuwa, Head Athletic Trainer

Letter from Head Athletic Trainer Hide Okuwa: Staying Well, the Importance of Championship Hydration

Acknowledgement:
I am nothing but proud of each one of us regardless of who we are, what we do, or where we are in this world going through this moment. Perhaps, some of us create our own ways to fight against whatever we face to while some are trying to stay positive about it, maybe having more spare time for ourselves and spending more time with family, which we do not get normally with busy life. My family is a thousand miles away but we all trust each other and stay connected. Fortunately, recent technology surely helps us connected easier than ever before. I am so grateful to keep connected with people I love. This journal will hopefully help us to stay more positive in this community.

Since the Stay at Home Order came out, people in New York and other states are trying to prevent ANY sickness and injury. I believe that there are so many ways to stay well at home physically, mentally, and spiritually. Now, it may be the time to stop what you are doing and take a little moment even 5 minutes to think about how really healthy your lifestyle is right now during the COVID-19 pandemic and how can you enhance your well-being at home.

Seeing people with a mask and walking around the city has become a common scene, as well as wearing gloves to prevent touching random products at the grocery store. Then, a question has come out...how about water..so I started my brief search. How does water impact the human body with COVID-19? What really is championship hydration?

It's common knowledge that 60%-90% of human body is made up of water. Water must be consumed by all human-beings existing in large quantities to maintain proper hydration. As I searched little bit about hydration and COVID-19, staying hydrated is one of available treatments, which A LOT of medical experts recommend. We try to prevent infection from the air by wearing a mask or not coughing or sneezing, but drinking water is recommended and actually it helps to boost your immune system. We may never get infected by water and even need to drink more to help prevent it. I believe the importance of championship hydration is severely underrated, especially during a time like this. Of course I understand that each social economic status is different so some people have a hard time to get clear water but drinking water is more helpful than we think in this situation.

The championship hydration has been emphasized at the SUNY Maritime College Athletics Department in last few years. Precisely only drinking water is not the championship hydration. The championship hydration is the combination of action of eliminating negative factors to hydration and adding positive factors to hydration. Even though you drink a lot of water, if you do something enhancing dehydration such as drinking too much alcohol, doing too much exercise, lack of sleep, or not eating balanced diet at some point in your daily life, it is NOT the championship hydration. The championship hydration may be one of the important keys for us to stay more positive.

Hopefully this journal helps make you really think how much you are truly hydrating.

Sleep well, eat well, and hydrate well..

1. https://www.health.harvard.edu/diseases-and-conditions/treatments-for-covid-19

2. https://news.vcu.edu/article/Health_expert_on_limiting_coronavirus_risk_Get_sleep_stay_hydrated

3. https://www.cdc.gov/healthywater/drinking/nutrition/index.html

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