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GLOBAL NUTRITION. MEDIA CENTER. PRESS RELEASES. ASSET LIBRARY. PRESS CONTACTS. MEDIA CENTER EXPERTS. Optimizing Hydration for Athletes. Optimizing Hydration for Athletes Sub Heading Hydration status affects athletic performance more than you may realize.

Main Image. Duration MAR. Description Water makes up two-thirds of the body's composition, and one way that humans lose water is through sweat, which is amplified during exercise. The Impact of Dehydration on Athletic Performance In simple terms, fluid intake must match fluid loss to maintain a well-hydrated state.

Niko Mihic, head of Real Madrid's medical team. Rehydration for Athletes: Key Strategies Maintaining adequate hydration before, during and after exercise practice or competition requires intentional fluid habits among athletes.

Before Exercise Two to four hours leading up to exercise, an athlete should drink 2 to 4 milliliters per pound of body weight in fluids. After Exercise The goal after training is to drink approximately 16 to 24 ounces of fluid for every pound of weight loss during exercise.

Composition of Rehydration Beverages Water is necessary for hydration, but electrolytes are crucial for healthy nerve function, muscle contraction and enhanced fluid uptake. For example, sodium helps the body retain fluid, reduce urine production and prevent muscle cramps , and glucose and sodium work together to help promote gut absorption.

Hakim Bouzamondo, head of Research and Development at Abbott. RELATED ARTICLE. Keto-Friendly Recipes for the Holidays Main Image. Heading Keto-Friendly Recipes for the Holidays. Description With Thanksgiving around the corner, many people are starting to plan their menus and recipes for the holidays.

Heading What Can Happen During a Keto Cheat Day? Description If followed correctly, the keto — or ketogenic — diet can help you slim down fast. Social Share.

Adult men require about ounces 15 cups , according to the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.

This includes water as well as fluids you get from foods and other beverages. Athletes need even more fluids to replace water lost through sweating. The amount of fluid you need depends on how much you sweat, the climate, exercise intensity, and how long you are active.

Eby says. High-intensity exercise in the heat might require the higher end of that spectrum — 8 ounces every 15 minutes. To understand how much water you need to replace after a workout, weigh yourself.

Your body sends you signals that you are dehydrated. You also may experience:. Follow a hydration plan every day. For example, if you want to consume ounces of fluid per day, break that down into smaller servings. If you are awake 15 hours each day, drink eight ounces every 2 hours.

Set a timer throughout the day — and during your training sessions or games — so you drink something every 15 to 20 minutes. Carry a water bottle so fluids are always accessible and you remember to drink.

Eat foods with high water content. Watermelon, grapefruit, strawberries, and cantaloupe are great options.

Not all fluid intake needs to be in pure liquid form. Water is the go-to drink throughout the day and during workouts. Eby suggests you consider a sports drink when you exercise at high intensity for longer than 45 minutes.

They contain electrolytes essential minerals such as sodium, calcium, and potassium , which are vital to bodily function. Trial these fluids while training to discover which work well for you. Alcohol: Alcohol is a diuretic, which makes your body remove fluids at a faster rate.

Caffeine: Caffeine also has diuretic effects, but not as much as alcohol. Generally, the fluid in a caffeinated beverage offsets any dehydrating effects. Carbonated beverages: Carbonated drinks can cause gastrointestinal distress, and your body may not absorb carbonated fluids as well as flat liquids.

Eby recommends certain populations keep an even closer eye on hydration and drink additional fluids. As we age, our bodies contain less fluid overall, our sense of thirst diminishes, and kidney function tends to decline.

Therefore, older athletes are more prone to both dehydration and heat-related illness. Exercise is generally safe for pregnant people, but they should be especially careful about hydration. They need to maintain their own hydration and that of the baby.

Meal Planning Clean Eats Food Labels Athlete Resources Links FAQ Coaches' Corner. Hydration Possibly the most important nutritional intake substance for athletes is Water. The American Council on Exercise ACE recommends these tips for athletes regarding water and additional fluid intake: Drink ounces of water two to three hours before the start of exercise Drink 8 ounces of fluid 20 to 30 minutes prior to exercise or during warm-up Drink ounces of fluid every 10 to 20 minutes during exercise Drink an additional 8 ounces of fluid within 30 minutes after exercising Drink ounces of fluid for every pound of body weight lost after exercise O n average, female athletes should consume about 16oz water bottles ~8.

html Sources:. IOM Report: Adapted data from Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, and Sulfate , The National Academy of Sciences. ACE Report: FitFacts Healthy Hydration , American Council on Exercise.

Enroll Admissions Assessment Counseling Financial Aid School of Continuing Education Explore Academic Catalog Employment Finding Events Library Schedule of Classes Why Mt. Trying a fruit smoothie with protein powder or a sports meal replacement shake at this time can aid with this as well as provide some additional hydration.

Drink 1 — 2 cups of water-based beverages water, juice, milk with every meal and snack. Target a 10 — 12 cup base minimum of these hydrating beverages per day.

If you consume caffeinated beverages, alternate non-caffeinated beverages between caffeinated beverages throughout the day 3. Limit caffeinated beverage intake after a certain time of day for example, 1 pm 4. Set a reasonable limit on coffee intake for instance, 1 to 2 cups per day 5.

Substitute decaffeinated tea, soda, or coffee for some of your caffeinated drinks 6. Try calorie-free fruit flavored waters such as Schweppes or Fruit2O 8.

Dilute juices with water 9. If you drink alcohol, consider alternating plain club soda with alcoholic beverages Keep a water bottle with you at all times freeze overnight so it stays cool on hot summer days. As you play sports in intense heat, remember in order to stay well conditioned, hydrate and fuel appropriately.

When you follow these guidelines, you will be a powerful match to any opponent. If it is tough to determine a strict set of fluid intake parameters. But it can be even more challenging to determine if you're drinking enough fluids based on your fitness routine. By following standard pre-hydration guidelines, and using a combination of the pee test and exercise weigh-ins, you can get a pretty good feel for the amounts of fluid you should be consuming before, during, and after exercise.

Then, based on specific conditions like a very hot day or a particularly strenuous workout , you can make adjustments, as needed. A high-quality reusable water bottle can help you keep track of your consumption.

Here are some additional guidelines on when and how to hydrate. The ACSM's guidelines are fairly general when it comes to drinking fluids before exercise. They simply state that athletes should start drinking small amounts of water at least 4 hours before a bout of exercise with the goal of reaching "euhydration," or being appropriately hydrated, before exercise begins.

This amounts to about 5 to 7 milliliters per kilogram of weight. If you are dehydrated, you may need another 3 to 5 milliliters per kilogram of weight two hours prior to the event.

The recommendation goes as far as suggesting sodium-containing beverages to increase fluid intake and retention. The ISSN offers slightly more specific recommendations, suggesting that athletes consume milliliters of water or sports drink the night before a competition, milliliters upon waking, and another to milliliters roughly 30 minutes before exercise commences.

This, along with a normal eating schedule, should help you achieve optimal pre-exercise hydration. The problem is that based on activity, duration, intensity, and individual sweat rates and fluid needs, it's nearly impossible to offer a clear guideline.

Both organizations note that sweat rates for prolonged exercise can vary from 0. The ACSM suggests using pre- and post-workout weigh-ins to craft a personalized hydration plan over time based on your own typical fluid losses.

For instance, if you weigh 2. Another starting point recommendation is consuming 0. If you are running smaller bouts, closer to 0. ACSM also recommends consuming 30 to 60 grams of carbohydrates not to exceed 80 grams per hour along with some sodium and potassium.

The ISSN, on the other hand, states that athletes should plan to consume roughly 12 to 16 ounces of fluids every 5 to 15 minutes over the course of a workout. Those performing more intense workouts for longer periods of time, especially in hot or humid environments might consider using an insulated water bottle and should plan on drinking more fluids more frequently, with those performing less intense workouts in less challenging environments skewing toward less fluid consumption on a less frequent schedule.

Post-exercise rehydration comes down to replacing the fluids and electrolytes lost during exercise. This is where the pre- and post-exercise weigh-ins can come in handy. According to the ISSN, for every pound lost during exercise, you should consume 3 cups of water.

This doesn't need to be done all at once. Rather, it can be done steadily following your workout, with the goal of completing consumption before your next bout of exercise to ensure you've appropriately rehydrated. The ACSM notes that if time permits, sticking to a normal eating and drinking schedule after your workout should be enough to restore euhydration.

But if you have to rehydrate quickly say, in between basketball games during a tournament , drinking about 1. Thirst is not a dehydration barometer. This is particularly true during long athletic events, where your fluid loss through sweat may outpace your body's response to flag for thirst.

Water is an excellent drink for rehydration, but you don't just lose water as you sweat—you lose electrolytes, too.

And when you've participated in a particularly sweaty workout, or an extended workout in hot weather, you may end up with an electrolyte imbalance. This imbalance needs to be restored to ensure your body recovers appropriately. In the following instances listed below, you should consider using fluids with electrolytes mixed in to help rehydrate.

When you exercise for longer than 90 minutes, you're placing additional stress on your systems, and you're losing a significant amount of water and electrolytes through sweat. For shorter workouts, the electrolyte loss is unlikely to be significant enough to impact performance. You can restore the losses more easily following your workout by consuming water and a normal diet.

But when you start logging those extra-long workouts, your body is likely to need a boost of electrolytes in addition to water alone. When you exercise in heat , your body uses it's natural cooling system—sweat—to keep your body temperature from rising.

That means the workouts you do on hot days result in greater fluid and electrolyte loss. If you're exercising in the heat, particularly if you're exercising for longer than 60 to 90 minutes, it is best to add some carbohydrates and electrolytes to your fluid consumption to prevent dehydration and immunosuppressive effects of intense exercise.

Doing so, will ensure you keep your system hydrated and balanced. You may not have ever thought about it, but exercising at higher altitudes results in more fluid loss, not only through sweat loss which remains similar to the loss you might experience at sea level , but through increased loss of respiratory water.

This loss occurs because the air is thinner at higher altitudes and you have to breath at a faster rate to intake the same level of oxygen as you would at lower altitudes. The result is that you expire more water into the air. Plus, the physiological changes that take place when exposed to high altitudes for a brief period of time when you haven't acclimated to the environment , also affect how your body responds to exercise.

All of these factors combined add up to a situation where you might benefit from electrolyte intake as you rehydrate. Finally, any athlete who is experiencing greater fluid losses for any other reason should also consider using an electrolyte-enhanced fluid as part of the rehydration plan.

This includes athletes with injuries, medical conditions, or illnesses—particularly if diarrhea or vomiting are involved.

It is particularly important to pay attention to electrolyte balance in any situation where dehydration is more likely to occur with exercise.

To help you decide which drinks to use, Dr. Modabber ranked some of the most popular options based on "which get the job done, without including too much of what you don't necessarily need—especially sugars.

Athletes need to be particularly conscientious about water intake levels, as well as electrolyte balance in order to help prevent dehydration. By paying attention to the color and concentration of your urine, and doing pre- and post-workout weigh-ins, you can develop a pretty good idea of your personal water intake needs.

But, if you're concerned about dehydration or you're unsure whether you're drinking enough water, consult with a sports dietitian or a healthcare provider that specializes in sports medicine to discuss whether you can get a more personalized assessment.

How much water an athlete needs depends greatly on the type of athlete in question, as well as the age, sex, and body composition of the athlete, intensity of the workout performed, and the environmental conditions where the exercise is taking place.

That said, in addition to a baseline requirement of roughly 8 to 12 cups of water per day, athletes should consume an additional 3 cups of water for each pound of weight lost during the course of an exercise routine.

Athletes should drink water consistently with the goal of urinating frequently with clear or almost-clear urine. Any water consumption above and beyond this barometer for euhydration could set an athlete up for hyponatremia —a condition associated with excess water intake without a simultaneous increase in electrolyte intake, resulting in a potentially life-threatening electrolyte imbalance.