Hydration at the Tailgate: Don’t Let Dehydration Sack You

-

 


Hydration at the Tailgate: Don’t Let Dehydration Sack You

Fall Saturdays = football, food, and hours of hanging out with friends. But let’s be real: between the salty snacks, long hours outside, and maybe a few adult beverages, staying hydrated can fall off the radar. The problem? Dehydration can sneak up on you and leave you feeling drained before the game even kicks off. The good news? With a little planning, you can keep your energy up and still enjoy everything game day has to offer.

Pregame Like a Pro

Think of water as part of your tailgate prep. If you show up already dehydrated, you’re starting from behind. Experts from UNC Health recommend drinking plenty of fluids a day or two before outdoor events and sipping water steadily throughout the day — not just chugging when you feel thirsty

  • Chug a full water bottle (16–20 oz) before you head out.
  • Bonus points if you throw in an electrolyte packet, like Liquid IV packet, a Nuun hydration tablet, or even a Gatorade especially if you’ll be walking a lot or standing in the sun.

The One-for-One Rule

Alcohol + tailgates go hand in hand, but alcohol is a sneaky dehydrator. Why? Because alcohol is a diuretic, it makes your body lose fluids faster by increasing urine production. To keep yourself from crashing:

  • Alternate every drink with water or sparkling water.
  • Choose lighter options (beer, seltzer) over sugary cocktails. Less sugar = less dehydration (and less of a hangover).

Snack Smart

Chips, pretzels, wings, and dip are classics, but they’re loaded with salt, which can make dehydration worse.

  • Mix in some hydrating snacks: fruit skewers, grapes, or orange slices.
  • Veggies with hummus or salsa count too — they’re water-rich and give you a break from the salt overload.

Make Water Less Boring

If plain water isn’t your vibe, switch it up:

  • Toss lemon, lime, or orange slices in your water bottle.
  • Grab a sparkling water for that “festive” feel without the sugar.
  • Freeze a water bottle the night before, it’ll melt throughout the day and stay cold.

Don’t Forget Recovery

Tailgates are a marathon, not a sprint, and how you end the night matters.

  • Before bed, down, at least, a glass of water (or an electrolyte drink if you’ve been out all day).
  • Pair it with a quick snack like PB toast with banana to refuel and save yourself from the full-on Sunday slump.

Bottom line: Staying hydrated is the ultimate game-day hack. Plan ahead, swap in water, and sneak in hydrating snacks so you can actually enjoy game day and still feel human the next morning.

-       A.R.

References:

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/why-does-alcohol-make-you-pee

https://healthtalk.unchealthcare.org/7-tips-to-stay-hydrated-at-an-outdoor-event/

Comments

  1. Lillian GroffOctober 8, 2025 at 9:10 PM

    I really enjoyed reading this blog post! I love all the tips suggested for keeping hydrated, I always love a good electrolyte drink! Great post!

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Sweet Benefits of Valentine's Day Chocolate

-
Image
 With Valentine’s Day coming, we all love those sweet treats that come along with the holiday, whether chocolate, baked goods, or even fruit candies.  But have you ever wondered if chocolate could be healthy for you? Chocolate has three categories we may all know: dark chocolate, milk chocolate, and white chocolate. This is determined by the amount of cocoa solids made from cocoa beans mixed with cocoa butter and sugar. In America, a standard bar of dark chocolate has around 70% - 85% cocoa.  Dark chocolate contains a large amount of flavonoids which are antioxidants that protect our bodies from damage. So the higher the content of cocoa the higher the amount of flavonoids.  While dark chocolate has the benefit of flavonoids, there are more benefits including: A source of important minerals - such as iron, magnesium, zinc, copper, and phosphorus  Non-dairy - a good option for those with a milk allergy or sensitivity  High in fiber - around 4 grams per ounce...
Read more

Nutrition Interventions and HIV

-
Practice Paper of the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics: Nutrition Intervention and Human Immunodeficiency Virus Infection Treatment of Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Autoimmune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) can present many nutritional challenges, especially related to obesity due to treatments that have extended life expectancy for this population. Antiretroviral Therapies (ART)   have shifted nutrition concerns from undernutrition to obesity and cardiometabolic problems. HIV can alter metabolism, resulting in protein-energy malnutrition, anemias, and micronutrient deficiencies. Risks for chronic disease such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes are higher in this population than in the general population, and obesity and overweight incidence is increasing in people affected by this disease. Food insecurity is also higher than average in this population. RDs should use the nutrition care process and nutrition focused physical exams to identify malnutrition and n...
Read more

Heart-Healthy Snacking: The Best of Both Worlds for National Snacking Month and Heart Month

-
Image
  Designed by  Freepik February brings us two important topics to celebrate: National Heart Month and National Food Snacking Month! You may be asking yourself, are snacks even good for me? Yes, they are! A snack is typically eaten between main meals. Benefits of snacks include providing a boost of energy when several hours have passed between meals (which causes blood glucose levels to drop), helps reduce your appetite to decrease overeating at the next meal, can help maintain good nutrition if one has a poor appetite but cannot eat full meals due to an illness for example, and provide extra nutrients when choosing snacks like fresh fruit or nuts. The downfall of snacks is if the frequency of eating them is too much it can lead to reduced hunger at meals times causing some to skip a meal entirely. Many of us also prefer ultra-processed snacks such as chips, ice cream, candy, soft drinks, and cake which are not always the best option to fuel our day. A way to curb the downf...
Read more