Protecting immune health as youth sports resume practices, competition

YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - High school athletes in Yuma are gearing up to return to competition and many have already started practices. Athletes should be following state protocols like hand washing, equipment usage, mask-wearing, and other safety measures.

What about keeping them healthy during the pandemic, while participating in sports?

According to restorative health experts, students should be on a regimen to support their immune health as seasons begin. That includes getting back on routine sleep schedules and eating immune-boosting foods and supplements.

Dr. Rand McClain works with athletes and says this particular age group is least likely to be compliant with things that we know help prevent transmission of disease.

“Make sure that you're compensating for with adequate rest, nutrition, including hydration. Now's not the time to go for your personal best particularly because you've probably, if you're a teenage athlete or any athlete, been doing your home workouts, and you're not prepared to go to that hundred percent mark in a game for example like you would have been maybe last year, you get access to all, you know, the facilities that we got to spoil be able to use," Dr. McClain said.

As far as the continuation of high school sports, the Arizona Interscholastic Association (AIA) is meeting Wednesday, to determine when fall sports can begin amid the coronavirus pandemic. 

As of right now, high school football is set to resume at the end of this month with games beginning in October.