As a new school year begins, parents and teachers alike are focused on helping children settle back into routines, build good habits, and perform at their best. One often-overlooked factor that can significantly influence attention, mood, and learning outcomes is hydration.
Research shows that losing just 1–2% of body water can impair short-term memory, alertness, and mood, yet many children and teens start their school days under-hydrated. Early mornings, busy schedules, and not enough water can all contribute to fatigue and attention deficit in class.
Here’s another surprising, little-understood, aspect of hydration: too much water dilutes the very minerals that contribute to brain function, having the same effect as being under-hydrated. Why? Because our bodies need both fluid and electrolytes to function. Water alone provides the fluid but is often stripped of minerals and doesn’t contain electrolytes. After all, a medical drip contains saline (salt) solution, not plain water.
Dr Jed Myers, metabolic health expert and CEO of Health Impact, explains. “Hydration directly affects how the brain functions. Water alone isn’t enough. The body needs electrolytes to hold water and ensure that neurons fire effectively. When these minerals are depleted, through stress, heat or simply not replacing enough, the result can be fatigue, headaches and reduced mental clarity.”
Good hydration supports several key functions essential for learning and development:
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Alertness and focus: Adequate hydration ensures blood flow to the brain, bringing with it much-needed minerals and nutrients.
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Mood and motivation: Even mild dehydration can cause tiredness or irritability, affecting participation and learning.
Sugary drinks are another serious hydration problem. Often loaded with unnecessary colouring and additives, they’ve become a staple of many kids’ lives. Aside from simply being unhealthy, these drinks cause a rise in blood sugar with an inevitable crash afterwards. The brain reacts to the sugar crash as an energy crisis. Young brains, suddenly deprived of glucose energy, can’t concentrate and crave sugar. A much better solution is plain water or water with electrolytes, especially products sweetened naturally with things like stevia or monk fruit – they are palatable and don’t spike blood sugar. Good hydration supports stable brain energy.
Health practitioners recommend that children and students build hydration into their daily routine. Drinking enough plain water with breakfast (which should contain sufficient protein) and adding a clean, palatable electrolyte that can be sipped during the morning gives the young brain what it needs and, importantly, displaces other unhealthy options. One of the secrets to breaking a bad habit is to substitute it with a good one, especially one as easy as hydration. A cool, stainless steel water bottle, won’t hurt either. Few people would argue against ditching sugar and plastic at the same time. What’s more, active breaks and outdoor play can then take place with an already-hydrated body, preventing concentration crashes afterwards and supporting physical recovery.
A consistent hydration habit that includes good quality electrolytes helps sustain concentration, provides steady energy levels, and supports recovery from physical and mental exertion.
REVIVE is formulated with unprocessed Oryx Desert Salt, an unpolluted, sun-dried source of sodium from the Kalahari Desert that also contains the trace minerals our bodies need. Potassium and magnesium are added, along with delicious natural flavours, to get a perfectly balanced electrolyte powder that is easily added to water. Developed using the latest science on health and human performance, REVIVE provides physiologically appropriate mineral levels without sugar, artificial colourants, unnecessary additives or preservatives. Health and performance elegantly combined to meet the needs of students, athletes and professionals seeking clean, effective hydration.
Top five hydration habits for a strong start to the school year:
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Start the day hydrated: Encourage children to drink a glass of water with a protein-based breakfast before a busy school day.
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Pack water with clean electrolytes into a refillable bottle (ideally stainless steel) and remind kids to sip steadily throughout the school day. Visibility helps
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Replenish after activity: Replace lost electrolytes after sport or outdoor play to prevent fatigue.
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Pair hydration with snacks: Naturally sweetened, non-sugar fluids or plain water during lunch or snack breaks supports steady energy.
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Limit sugary or energy drinks: These cause energy crashes so choose clean, hydration instead.
REVIVE’s Mixing Guide For Healthy Kids:
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Between 2 – 4 years old: Mix one sachet with 1L of water and split into 4 x 250ml portions. Take 1 portion per day or 2 if highly active.
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Between 4 – 10 years old: Mix one sachet with 1L of water and split into 2 x 500ml portions to support steady sipping. Take 1 portion per day or 2 if highly active.
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10 years and older: Mix one sachet with 750ml of water. Sip slowly throughout the day. Take another portion if highly active.
For more information on REVIVE and the science behind electrolytes, visit www.getrevive.co.za.