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Hydration and Electrolyte Balance
Hydration is an important key aspect of sports nutrition. Staying adequately hydrated is essential for maintaining optimal performance.
Proper hydration is crucial for athletes to maintain performance and prevent dehydration-related fatigue and impaired cognitive function. Dehydration can impair physical and cognitive function, leading to decreased endurance, coordination, and concentration.
Sports nutrition highlights the importance of staying adequately hydrated before, during, and after physical activity. Water is generally the best choice for hydration, but for prolonged exercise or intense training sessions, sports drinks containing electrolytes can help replenish what is lost through sweat.
Maintaining proper hydration status during exercise
is crucial for performance and minimizing the risk
of dehydration-related issues (Sawka et al., 2007).
Electrolyte replacement during prolonged or intense exercise
can help maintain fluid balance and prevent electrolyte disturbances (Maughan et al., 2018).
Exercise Hydration
Drink plenty of water to stay properly hydrated. Drink water before, during and after your workout to regulate body temperature.
Formula: 35ml per kg body weight
If you weigh 100kg, drink 3.5 litres a day.
If you weigh 70kg, drink 2.5 litres a day.
Water is so important for good health. Consuming ample amounts is absolutely essential for fuelling health and energy. It makes up over 70% of our bodies. It helps produce energy, detoxifies our bodies, regulates body temperature, builds new cells and lubricates joints.
Encourage your team to consume 6-8% carbohydrate-electrolyte beverages frequently (about half a cup every 10-15 minutes) during workouts lasting longer than an hour to maintain fluid balance (prevent dehydration) and spare glycogen.
Together, these effects are likely to have a positive impact on day-to-day practices, and ultimately competition performance.
As a general guideline, aim to drink at least 6-8 glasses of water a day, about 2 litres. If you exercise you'll probably need to drink more. Soft drinks and fruit juices are not good for replacing lost fluids because of their high calorie content.
Failure to maintain a hydrated state can lead to detrimental changes in the cardiovascular response to exercise, over-heating of the body and decreases in both maximal power and work capacity.
Water losses of 1% of your total body weight can impair functioning both mentally and physically. Losses of 4% can cause headaches, loss of energy, muscle weakness and irritability. Losses of 7% can be fatal. In addition to staying hydrated, athletes are faced with the task of fuelling their bodies for performance.