Fluids
Drinking enough fluids is very important, especially during the summer. As a rule, you should have about 1 cup of fluid 15 minutes before exercise and every 15 to 20 minutes during exercise. Fluids should always be available, and planned “fluid breaks” are very important. Fluids should not have caffeine because it can cause dehydration. Sports drinks are a good choice because they provide carbohydrates for energy and small amounts of salt.

Salt
The extra salt that you lose during exercise should be replaced with salty foods like potato chips. Do not rely only on sports drinks to replace salt lost during exercise because these drinks do not have enough salt to meet CF patients’ needs.

Extra Calories
When you exercise, you burn additional calories. You may need to add an extra snack or two to make up for the calories lost during exercise. It is very important to plan for this extra food so that you do not lose weight.

Alternative Medicine
There are many nutritional treatments that promise to cure or help kids with CF but they have not been fully tested. Although these products may be tempting, talk about all therapies with your CF team first. Herbal supplements, or other nutrition supplements, can be dangerous to your health. This link, designed by the National Consumers League, is a good overview of dietary supplements, regulation and the potential dangers of use.