Hydration in Athletic Performance
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You may have heard the saying, “By the time you’re thirsty, it’s too late.” This addresses the importance of adequately hydrating as a matter of prevention. Once symptoms of thirst actually register you may already be dehydrated to a degree. Dehydration decreases performance, slows recovery and can threaten and individual’s health. A dehydrated athlete can experience dizziness, fatigue, poor performance, decreased blood pressure, weakness, and heat stroke.
There are numerous factors affecting an athlete’s need for fluids, such as temperature, intensity, duration of training, body size, age and gender. Athletes need to consume liquids before, during and after competition. Before competition drink eight to ten glasses of water per day or other hydrating liquid is recommended. Two hours prior to activity, especially for longer than ninety minutes, it is suggested to drink sixteen ounces of fluid.
During extended activity, There are several options, but the general idea is to replace your fluid lost during training. One method is to consume four to six ounces of fluid every fifteen minutes. Another approach is to use “sweat rate” as a gage, in which fluids are consumed at the rate sweat is lost. For example, an athlete that looses one pound in one hour of exercise needs sixteen ounces of fluid per hour. The amount of fluids replaced using sweat rate can fluctuate with environmental conditions. Loss of weight equaling one to two percent of total body weight is expected in prolonged, continuous activity. Greater than two percent can compromise athletic performance, and more than three percent is potentially harmful.
After completing exercise, you need to drink the equivalent of 1.5 times the amount of body weight you have lost to restore balance. Therefore if you lost one pound of weight during your exercise activity, you would consume 1.5 pounds of fluid, or twenty-four ounces. Water is the preferred fluid replacement, although sports drinks can be helpful to encourage consumption. Caffeinated beverages or highly concentrated beverages will be less effective, and may deter from the purpose of effective hydration. The same applies for sources of fluid prior to and during exercise or competition.