hydration
By Cindy Joiner, published in Highly Acclaimed Magazine
Our bodies need water to work properly. Hydration replaces fluid lost from your body in the form of sweat, breathing and urine. When fluid loss is greater than fluid intake dehydration occurs. Dehydration combined with high temperatures can lead to heat-related disorders ranging from heat cramps to life-threatening heat stroke (to be covered in a future article). . Some other detrimental effects dehydration can have on sports performance include:
Relying on thirst is not enough to keep dehydration at bay. By the time you feel thirsty you have probably already lost two or more cups of water. In order to maintain proper hydration be sure to:
Adequate fluid replacement helps maintain hydration, thus promoting the health, safety and optimal physical performance of those participating in regular physical activities. Active people can lose up to five times as much fluid as inactive people. The next time you go out to train or compete, remember that you can train and/or race with less fatigue while also avoiding heat related injuries by staying properly hydrated.
Our bodies need water to work properly. Hydration replaces fluid lost from your body in the form of sweat, breathing and urine. When fluid loss is greater than fluid intake dehydration occurs. Dehydration combined with high temperatures can lead to heat-related disorders ranging from heat cramps to life-threatening heat stroke (to be covered in a future article). . Some other detrimental effects dehydration can have on sports performance include:
- Decrease in concentration levels
- Decrease in endurance capacity
- Decrease in performance levels through increased fatigue and headaches
- Delay in recovery
Relying on thirst is not enough to keep dehydration at bay. By the time you feel thirsty you have probably already lost two or more cups of water. In order to maintain proper hydration be sure to:
- drink at least eight 8oz glasses of water a day…the more active you are the more water you need
- prehydrate by drinking 12-16oz of water 1-2 hours before exercising
- drink every 15 minutes during exercise
- following your workout drink 2cups of water for each pound lost
- don’t substitute beverages with alcohol or caffeine for water since they act as a diuretic and can cause you to lose water through urination
- when it’s warm out, drink cool water as it is absorbed much more rapidly than warm water and may help cool off your overheated body
- during exercise lasting more than 1 hour, a fluid-replacement beverage that contains the proper mixture of carbohydrates and electrolytes will enhance performance.
Adequate fluid replacement helps maintain hydration, thus promoting the health, safety and optimal physical performance of those participating in regular physical activities. Active people can lose up to five times as much fluid as inactive people. The next time you go out to train or compete, remember that you can train and/or race with less fatigue while also avoiding heat related injuries by staying properly hydrated.