Stay hydrated to perform to full athletic potential. Show
Drinking enough water is crucial to an athlete’s performance. Physical activity can result in a large amount of water and electrolyte loss, which can in turn lead to dehydration, and therefore affect athletic performance. If an athlete is not properly hydrated, heat illness can occur. Heat illness can present minor side effects, such as muscle cramps and headaches, but can also have more serious outcomes, such as loss of consciousness and seizures. To prevent dehydration (and especially dehydration that leads to heat illness), there are a few simple tools that athletes should use to maintain hydration throughout activity. How to know you’re hydratedDetermining hydration status can be done using a self-assessment, according to the National Collegiate Athletic Association. One of the easiest and most reliable ways to determine if an athlete is hydrated is through urine color. A pale-yellow to clear color is the best indicator for hydration. Another way for athletes to self-assess hydration is to weigh themselves before and after activity and note how many pounds were lost through sweat. If more than 1 percent of body weight is lost through sweating, it is considered “minimal dehydration.” When more than 5 percent of body weight is lost, performance can start to be severely affected, according to the National Collegiate Athletic Association. This equates a moderate (which can quickly turn to severe) level of dehydration, where medical interference might be required. How much athletes should be drinkingAssuring athlete hydration can be achieved a few ways. According to the American College of Sports Medicine, water should be consumed throughout each and every day before one feels thirsty. The feeling of thirst is actually one of the first signs of dehydration. Drinking 16 ounces 2-3 hours before activity and then another 8 ounces 15-30 minutes before activity is recommended. About 4-8 ounces of water or an electrolyte drink is recommended every 15-20 minutes during an activity that lasts less than 60 minutes. If exercising for longer than 60 minutes, an electrolyte drink of 4-8 ounces every 15-20 minutes should be used to replace lost fluids. After activity is completed, it is recommended to use the weight loss calculation and consume 16-20 ounces of a sports drink or water per pound of body weight lost, according to the American College of Sports Medicine. Other ways to stay hydratedAside from drinking water throughout the day and during activity, athletes can also consume beverages or snacks with sodium and potassium to help maintain electrolyte balance. As previously mentioned, electrolyte drinks are a good alternative to water when exercising more than 60 minutes, and they may be appropriate during other times depending on the intensity, surrounding temperature and duration of the activity. Sports drinks contain carbohydrates which help with energy balance, as well as and sodium and potassium to help maintain hydration. However, it is important to note that sports drinks do have a lot of extra sugar and calories. They are not necessary unless the physical activity is intense or sustained for a long period of time. Additionally, as suggested by National Colligate Athletic Association, athletes can use fruits and vegetables to maintain hydration, as these foods are made of mostly water and can keep an athlete hydrated when included in everyday nutrition. Hydration is an important aspect of athletic performance and can prevent the various negative outcomes of becoming dehydrated. If peak performance is the goal, hydration must be prioritized. Drink enough water to sustain you through your workout, practice or game! Michigan State University Extension supports maintaining a balanced diet and keeping hydration levels up, especially during sports or other physical activity. Did you find this article useful?
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By Nicole Dynan (APD/ASD) Even a small amount of dehydration can affect your mental and physical performance, so staying well hydrated during training and competition can help you to perform at your best. Household heating and air-conditioning as well as sweating all contribute to dehydration. And thirst may not always be a good indicator of how much you need to drink; if you are thirsty, you can already be dehydrated enough to impair your performance. Here are my top tips to stay hydrated for your training and competition:1. Drink small and regular amounts of water throughout the day. Most of us should be aiming to drink around 2-3 L (this does not include what you drink around training). 2. Use your urine as a guide. Dark-coloured urine of a relatively small volume is an indication of dehydration and should signal you to drink more fluids throughout the day or during your run. 3. Start your activity well hydrated. Drink 200-600ml immediately before training starts. Leave time to visit the bathroom before your event. Then, begin drinking early in the session and continue to take in small amounts regularly. Most athletes can tolerate 200-300 ml every 15-20 minutes but this will vary according to body size and exercise intensity. 4. Have a plan. For any exercise session greater than 30 minutes, you should have a fluid intake plan. Conduct a simple sweat test to estimate your own personal fluid requirements. Weighing yourself before and after exercise can help you to gauge your fluid needs. Any weight loss corresponds with fluid loss. A kilogram loss of body weight represents a need for 1.5 Litres of fluid to be replaced, to account for fluid lost as urine. This should all be replaced within 4-6 hours after your activity. A weight increase could indicate that you are drinking more than you need. 5. Use sports drinks. When training sessions are of high intensity or last longer than 60 minutes, sports drinks can help replace lost electrolytes. Remaining dehydrated after exercise can slow down your recovery because blood and body fluids help to bring nutrients to your tissues for repair and remove any waste products. During the hottest time of the year, you not only need a hydration plan for each training session but also a plan to prevent cumulative dehydration over many sessions. Day-to-day hydration plan1. Drink a 400 ml of water with breakfast every morning. 2. Drink 2-3 L of fluid each day (this does not include what you drink around training). 3. Drink little and often. 4. Avoid fizzy drinks and adding sugar to caffeinated beverages. 5. Drink no more than 2-3 cups of tea and coffee each day. 6. Avoid caffeine and alcohol immediately after training. Avoiding over-hydration ‘hyponatraemia’Hyponatremia is a condition that occurs when the level of sodium in your blood is abnormally low (Sodium is an electrolyte, and it helps regulate the amount of water that's in and around your cells). It can occur from drinking excessive amounts of water before and during prolonged exercise. Hyponatraemia can lead to nausea and vomiting, headaches, muscle weakness or cramps, brain swelling, seizures and coma. Including sports drinks before and during exercise lasting longer than one hour can reduce your risk of hyponatraemia. Adjust your trainingExercising early in the morning when the temperature is lower or choosing an air conditioned gym on extreme weather days will assist in adhering to your planned training schedule. Pre-cooling or reducing your body temperature before exercising in hot weather has also been shown to preserve performance on hot days as it will delay body heat accumulation. Cooling vests with pockets for ice packs are a convenient way to achieve this (http://www.icevests.com.au/ ). Home-made Cool Electrolyte DrinkResearch has shown that fluid intake is improved when drinks are chilled (~15 °C), flavoured and contain sodium (salt). This makes this home-made sports drink an ideal choice during exercise. Ingredients:4 cups water (can substitute with coconut water)1/2 teaspoon sea salt1- 2 tablespoons honey (to taste preference)1/4 cup freshly squeezed of lemon juice1/2 cup dark cherry juice (no added sugar) 1/2 cup orange juice (freshly squeezed if available)
Monitoring hydration status before, during and after exercise is essential for both performance and safety during physical activity. Maintaining an appropriate level of hydration (a euhydrated state) has been shown to increase performance (aerobic exercise, anaerobic exercise, strength, power), allows athletes to exercise at lower body temperatures and heart rates, improves cognitive function, and has been shown to enhance immunological function. Dehydration is influenced by exercise intensity, environmental conditions (temperature and humidity), and availability of fluids during exercise. Once an individual loses 2% of their body mass from fluid losses impairments in performance are noticeable and these impairments become more extreme with greater levels of dehydration. Also, it has been shown that with increasing levels of dehydration body temperature and heart rate increases over and above the levels of someone who is hydrated, which can increase the risk of heat illness in dehydrated exercising individuals. An appropriate hydration strategy involves athletes to begin exercise hydrated, minimize fluid losses during exercise, and then replace fluid losses after exercise. Hydration needs are individualistic, so athletes should be aware of their own hydration needs to maximize performance and safety. blank
How Do I Know I am Hydrated?There are various modes in which hydration status can be measured, but unfortunately, there is no consensus as to which method is the best in terms of assessing an individual’s hydration status. Also, since an individual’s total body water content fluctuates constantly throughout the day, it is difficult to know what level is of total body water is a euhydrated state. Although there is no consensus as to which methods of hydration assessment are best, here are a few methods that can be used to measure hydration status.
As seen in the Venn diagram above not one biomarker of hydration (weight, urine, and thirst), provides enough evidence of dehydration; however, the combination of any two simple self-assessment markers means dehydration is likely, and the presence of all three makes dehydration very likely. How Do I Know How Much Fluid to Drink During Exercise?
Fluid needs for athletes are specific to the athletes themselves due to the variability in sweat rates amongst people. The best way to know how much fluid to drink during exercise is to calculate your sweat rate to know how much fluid you are losing during activity. After sweat rate is calculated you can calculate how much you need to drink. To get the most accurate sweat rate, the following steps should be followed:
If it is not possible to exercise for a full hour, the following equation can be used to calculate sweat rate: [(pre exercise bodyweight – post exercise bodyweight) + fluid intake – urine volume ]/exercise time in hours After your sweat rate is calculated you will know your fluid needs during exercise. The goal is to minimize fluid losses (try to keep body mass losses <2%). For people with high sweat rates (> 2 Liters per hour) it will be difficult to replace all fluids during exercise because the stomach only absorbs ~1.2 Liters per hour. By minimizing fluid losses during exercise you will end exercise more hydrated, thus helping to maximize performance. How Much Do I Need to Drink After Exercise?Rehydration should occur within 2 hours post exercise to assure optimal rehydration. Post exercise rehydration should be 150% of body mass loss during exercise. Use this calculation to adequately replace fluid post exercise, following the guidelines stated previously Pre exercise wt (kg) – post exercise wt (kg) x 1.5 = Fluid Needs for Replacement per ACSM Guidelines For every 1 kg (2.2 lb) loss, additional 1 L of fluid needed:
Hydration KitThe American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) and the National Athletic Trainers Association (NATA) recommend athletes attempt to drink fluids according to the amount lost by sweat. Since sweat rate differs for each individual (based on acclimatization level, fitness, gender, protective equipment, etc.) and can range from about one liter per hour to as much as three liters per hour, it is difficult to suggest a fluid intake to satisfy everyone’s needs. The rule-of-thumb is for athletes to consume about 200-300ml of fluid every 15 minutes during exercise. This is enough fluid to replace an individual with one liter per hour sweat rate, however an athlete who drank this amount during practice and had a higher sweat rate would still become dehydrated over time, which is why a universal recommendation is difficult. The first step to ensure athletes do not become dehydrated is to have the proper supplies in place. The following are KSI-suggested items to have on hand to promote hydration during sports activities. Names of common brands and retailers are provided as examples, however this is not an exhaustive list by any means. Prices are approximate and many providers offer discounted rates for large orders.
**Print as a PDF Are Sports Drinks Better Than Water for Hydration?
Recommendations for Concentration of Carbohydrates (CHO) in beverages
Salt Loss
Ergogenic aids and Supplements
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What are the Benefits of Hydration?Anaerobic ExerciseEndurance ExerciseExercise in HeatPowerStrengthCore TemperatureHeart RateCognitionMoodImmune FunctionSweat RateBeverage TemperatureReferences
Page last modified on August 11th, 2019 |