Hydration

Dehydration is the most common performance-sapping mistake that athletes make, but it's also the most preventable. Here are some guidelines to help athletes stay well hydrated. Remember that everyone sweats differently and therefore needs to drink a different amount of fluid during exercise.

Hydration strategies

 

Average person- 1/3 ounce of water/pound of body weight

Active person- 2/3 ounces of water/pound of body weight

·                     Clear urine-well hydrated

·                     Sports drinks- cut 50/50 with water

·                     Temperature of fluids 45oF

·                     Alcohol- leads to cellular dehydration

·                     Water the night before an event

·                     1% loss of body weight will affect performance

·                     poor hydration over a lift time will affect the health of one's intervertebral disc

 

Here are a few more tips of DOs and DON’Ts

Reference: Gatorade Sports Science Institute, Drinking Do’s and Don’ts, Volume 16 (2003)

　

　

DO	DON'T
Start exercise well hydrated Drink 2-3 cups (475-700 ml) of fluid 2-3 hours before exercise to allow excess fluid to be lost as urine. About one-half hour before exercise, drink 5-10 oz (150-300 ml). There is no benefit to hyperhydration, so don't drink excessively.   Weigh yourself The best way to determine if you'd had enough to drink during a workout is the check to see how much weight you've lost. Minimal weight loss means that you've done a good job staying hydrated. Remember that weight loss during an exercise session is water loss, not fat loss, and must be replaced.   Drink during exercise Most athletes find it helpful to drink every 10 to 20 minutes during a workout. Heavy sweaters can benefit from drinking more often (e.g., every 10 minutes) and light sweaters should drink less often (every 20+ minutes).   Ingest sodium during exercise The best time to begin replacing the sodium lost in sweat is during exercise. That's one reason why a good sports drink is better than plain water   Follow your own plan Everyone sweats differently, so everybody needs a drinking plan tailored to his or her individual needs.   Drink plenty during meals If you weren't able to drink enough during practice to keep from losing weight, be sure to drink enough before the next practice. Mealtime s the best time to do that because of the ease of drinking and the sodium that comes along with food.	Don't rely solely on water Drinking only water keeps you from replacing the electrolytes lost in sweat and from ingestion performance-boosting carbohydrates that help you train longer and stronger. Excessive water drinking can lead to dangerous electrolyte disturbances.   Don’t overdrink Water is definitely a good thing, but you can get too much of a good thing. Drinking large amounts of fluid is not only unnecessary, but can be down right dangerous. Bloated stomach, puffy fingers and ankles, a bad headache, and confusion are warning signs of hyponatremia.   Don't gain weight during exercise A sure sign of drinking too much is weight gain during exercise. If you weigh more after practice than you did before, that means that you drank more than yo needed. Be sure to cut back the next time so that you don't gain weight.   Don't restrict salt in your diet Ample salt (sodium chloride) in the diet is essential to replace the salt lost in sweat. Because athletes sweat a lot, their need for salt lost in sweat. Because athletes sweat a lot, their need for salt is much greater that for non-athletes.   Don't use dehydration to lose weight Restricting fluid intake during exercise impairs performance and increases the risk of heat-related problems. Dehydration should be kept to a minimum by following a wise fluid-replacement plan.   Don't delay drinking during exercise Stick to a drinking schedule so that you avoid dehydration early in exercise. Once dehydrated, it's next to impossible to catch up to what your body needs because dehydration actually slows the speed at which fluid exits the stomach.

　

Written by Dr. Tsang Wai Ting D.C. ( ãChiropractic Wellness Centre) 2008.4. 25

- specially for Stanley Dragon Boat web site

　

　

　

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