Indiana State University Athletics

CANCUN, Mexico - Indiana State has arrived in Cancun, Mexico for the Cancun Challenge this week and the Sycamores are slated to face Montana and South Dakota in a pair of contests over the Thanksgiving holiday break. But a much larger opponent will face ISU, one that will show up every day of the trip and will be coming at them from all fronts - dehydration.
 
Between the challenge of air travel, a quick turnaround from a game Monday evening and being in a foreign country, just staying adequately hydrated will be the biggest break from the norm and thus, the biggest challenge.
 
So the message Joey Wells usually has for his team – competitiveness, effort and creating a desire to win – now has to be utilized in a different approach.
 
It starts with the dehydrating effects of air travel.
 
Research shows that spending six hours in a climate simulator that mimics conditions on a plane, leads to a significant decrease in hydration status, with around 2% loss in total body water content over this time, despite them drinking 400ml of water, it's safe to say, flying is bad for hydration levels.
 
How important is that?
 
A 1-2% decrease in hydration has significant impact on the health and mood of passengers and can affect cognition, attention, memory and critical thinking, as well as leading to feelings of tiredness, fatigue and irritability.
 
"This is a great resort but we talked to our team about the different things you have to be aware of when you travel to a different country," head coach Joey Wells said. "We have a few international girls on our team but overall, eight of our 14 players didn't have passports so you know they haven't been out of the country before."
 
Credit the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya for providing plenty of bottled water at every turn. However
he culminating effects of an early team departure (leaving campus at 3 a.m.) and then two flights provide plenty of opportunity for dehydration to set in. That can be a fatal blow with back-to-back games sandwiched in between long travel days.
 
But even just recognizing the fact that dehydration has set in means it is too late.
 
"It is hard because they don't notice it," explained Chrissie Reichart the team's athletic trainer. "Being thirsty is the last point of dehydration. You are already dehydrated by the time you feel thirsty, when you start feeling the need to drink water."
 
Even getting a drink of water isn't as easy as it usually is. In the United States, simply put a glass under a faucet and drinkable water is easily found. However, different countries have different standards and procedures for providing potable water and when you subject your body to something different, it can result in an illness. So as the team spends most of the week in Mexico, even in a nice resort like the Hard Rock Hotel Riviera Maya, they have to stay away from the faucet.
 
Think that is easy? Take a moment to consider how many times in the course of the day you might use tap water. Ice in your soft drink? Can't use that in Mexico. Wetting or rinsing off your toothbrush? Better find an extra bottle of water lying around.
 
Now try impressing that upon college-aged kids. Even the more mature ones tend to have a veil of seemingly superhuman capabilities, or so they think.
 
"We had to make sure they were well-hydrated after Monday's game and then we left at 3 a.m. Tuesday," explained Darion Hutchinson, the team's Director of Operations. "Making sure their bodies are right, they are all taking care of themselves. It is a big thing with college athletes, especially when they think they can handle anything. They try to not drink as much water if they don't have to but we always make sure they are prepared for what the future may bring."
 
For the latest information on the Sycamore Women's Basketball team, make sure to check out GoSycamores.com. You can also find the team on social media including Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.