Most team snacks are a drink, a chip and something sweet. A good one does four jobs: carbohydrate, protein, healthy fat, and hydration with a dash of sodium when the day calls for it. Here's what the bag is missing, what to buy, how to keep the cost down, and the one change that sticks all season.

How much electrolytes does your athlete need? Sodium is the one that counts — 3 to 4 grams a day at ages 10 to 18, and 2 to 3 grams at ages 6 to 9, spread across five blocks. Potassium, magnesium and calcium matter for health, but they are not what holds fluid in. Sweat carries roughly nine times more sodium than potassium. Food first, the salt shaker second, a product only where the schedule breaks

Is your athlete already dehydrated before preseason practice even starts? For most, yes — about 76% are dehydrated in the morning and 66% stay that way all day. That costs roughly 8.3% of muscle endurance, 5.8% of power, and 5.5% of strength before the first whistle. Here's the simple fluid and sodium plan that fixes it, what to do on two-a-days, why cramping happens, and the lineman who added 90 pounds to his bench in five months.

Fall season is coming. USA's #1 Fueling Expert, Dawn Weatherwax, RD, LD, ATC, CSCS, opens 8 spots this week to find the fuel gap before it costs a season.