The lack of fluids causes the body to be unable to regulate its temperature, leading to fatigue, dizziness, and headaches. Dehydration also affects cognitive function, making it difficult to concentrate and make decisions. It can also cause muscle cramps, which can significantly hinder athletic performance.

In extreme cases, dehydration can lead to heat stroke or even death. Staying hydrated is essential for athletic success and good overall health.

By following these tips and staying properly hydrated, you can ensure that you have optimal performance on the field or court! Hydration is a critical component of any athletic performance. Staying properly hydrated during physical activity can help improve endurance, reduce the risk of injury, and provide your body with essential nutrients to keep you going.

Without proper hydration, athletes may experience fatigue, impaired coordination, cramping, and other negative effects that can impede their performance. By drinking plenty of fluids before, during, and after workouts and sports activities, athletes can ensure they are staying hydrated and getting the most out of their performance.

Share Share Link. The link between hydration and athletic performance When it comes to athletic performance, hydration is key. The benefits of proper hydration When athletes properly hydrate, the body is able to perform at its peak. The benefits of proper hydration include: Improved Athletic Performance: Hydration helps the body maintain a consistent temperature and lubricates joints.

When the body has enough water, it can produce more energy and reduce fatigue during exercise. Adequate hydration also aids in muscle contraction, which helps to improve coordination and balance. Mental Performance : Proper hydration plays an important role in brain function.

Dehydration can lead to fatigue, confusion, and difficulty concentrating. Drinking adequate amounts of fluids can help athletes stay focused and alert for longer periods of time. Injury Prevention: Keeping your body hydrated helps protect muscles from tears and strains.

Muscles that are properly hydrated are more elastic and less prone to injury. Additionally, dehydration weakens ligaments, tendons, and cartilage, making athletes more prone to injuries like sprains.

Adequate hydration helps with digestion, absorption of nutrients, and elimination of toxins from the body. These processes are essential for recovery and can help reduce post-exercise soreness.

The risks of dehydration Dehydration is a serious issue for athletes, as it can have a significant impact on athletic performance. Drink about 16 to 20 ounces of fluids two hours before starting any type of physical activity.

During exercise, aim to drink 5 to 10 ounces of fluid every 15 to 20 minutes. After exercise, drink 16 to 24 ounces for every pound lost during physical activity. Eat water-rich fruits and vegetables : Eating fruits and vegetables with a high water content can also help you stay hydrated.

Try to include more watermelon, cucumber, celery, strawberries, grapefruit, cantaloupe and oranges in your diet. These fruits are especially beneficial when consumed during or after exercise.

Consider adding electrolytes to your beverage: Adding an electrolyte supplement such as sodium or potassium to your beverage of choice can help replace lost electrolytes through sweat during exercise. Sports drinks that contain electrolytes are a popular option, but consider adding them in moderation since they contain added sugar.

There is no shortage of papers demonstrating significant performance degradation when dehydrated 3 4 5 6 7 8. Body mass corrected for water ingestion decreased by 2. However, these apparent differences in circulatory volume were not associated with differences in rectal temperature.

Blood glucose concentrations were similar in both trials, while blood lactate concentrations were higher in the NF-trial at the end of exercise 4. Essentially what they found is fluid replacement enhanced endurance capacity.

But as I mentioned previously, hydration is not as simple as drinking more water. Hydration balance refers to the actual volume of water as well as the concentration. We lose water and minerals from extracellular fluid when we sweat.

Intracellular compartments then transfer water to preserve the balance between intracellular and extracellular volume and concentration. This reduction in intracellular and extracellular fluid volume increases the mineral concentration which disrupts hydration balance.

So in order to optimize hydration we need an operational definition. Broadly speaking what this paper also highlights are three primary recommendations to ensure hydration is achieved 11 12 :. Evaluating thirst on a scale of and observing the colour of your urine are also good observational tools to evaluate your hydration status.

The venn diagram below gives you an idea of how these three metrics are related. No metric in isolation is an indication of dehydration. The image below is an 8 colour scale urine hydration chart. As mentioned previously in order to ensure hydration balance we need to balance fluid intake with mineral concentration.

Sodium and chloride are the primary constituents that balance the concentration. Potassium, calcium and magnesium are also important but less so. Additionally, losses in calcium and magnesium are not large and optimal levels can be maintained through consumption of specific foods.

Below is a short list of foods rich in these minerals. Ideally you want a ratio of sodium to potassium. Mixing a pinch of sodium chloride table salt in a litre of water is an excellent way to replenish sodium and chloride.

Carbohydrates can also play an important role in the hydration process during post-exercise recovery. Since carbohydrates trigger the release of insulin which drives nutrients into cells it also aids in cellular hydration. This is also one of the reasons many sports drinks contain some form of carbohydrate.

Products like ceralyte, drip drop, and LMNT can also be an effective supplement to assist in rehydration during and post exercise. They have good concentration profiles and you can use more or less depending on your individual needs.

They are low in carbohydrates which may or may not be a drawback depending on the users goals and diet. One thing to be mindful of is fluid consumption during exercise may make gastric emptying more difficult Rather, take periodic breaks to consume smaller portions of water to minimize GI distress.

Hopefully by this point you understand that hydration is more nuanced than simply drinking more water. Ideally you can take some of these guidelines and apply them to see better results with your hydration and sports performance. Essentials AbMat Angles90 Tools B3 Science BFR Bands Back Widow Bar Sauce Barbell Rescue Bench Blokz Cerberus DC Blocks Iron Neck The Launch Pad Marc Pro Micro Gainz Plates Resistance Bands Slant Board Spud Accessories TRX Velocity Based Training.

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How to Hydrate as an Athlete. Check your urine. Note the amount and its color. It should be a light yellow, like lemonade, and not clear.

Monitor your weight loss. If appropriate, you can weigh yourself before and after you play. Weight loss during activity will generally only be from sweating.

That can lead to dehydration and negatively affect how you play. How much fluid should you drink? Before exercise You may need to include fluids that contain sodium before starting exercise. You would want to drink milliliters, or about ounces. In our example, this would be around ounces of fluid containing sodium.

During exercise How much fluid you need depends on how much you sweat. Try to drink about ounces of fluid every 15 minutes for a total of ounces per hour. After exercise If appropriate, you can weigh yourself before and after your workout, and drink ounces of fluid for every 1 pound lost.

This can help you stay hydrated without needing to weigh yourself. Is it enough to just drink when you feel thirsty? Every athlete should know that hydration is a critical aspect of training, and also important in maintaining a healthy well being, before and after exercise.

Proper hydration is necessary for athletes, as it regulates body temperature and lubricates joints for athletic movements. Water also helps transport nutrients throughout the body, these nutrients give the body the energy it needs to be able to sustain any athletic endeavour.

Athletes Need Water to Perform. Most athletes know to drink water, but besides staying hydrated during practice, post-workout hydration is an important part of recovery. Water flushes out harmful toxins, and helps flush out excess acid from muscles in the body post-exertion phase.

It also aids in cellular repair, so the micro tears in muscles from exertion during exercise will heal faster, and leave the ahtlete feeling less sore the next day. More specifically, a dehydrated athlete with 2. For a lb athlete, this means a loss of 60 ounces of water. So, chances are, if athletes work out longer for than an hour, they are highly likely to be dehydrated to the point of reduced performance in the second half of your workout or competition.

However this can be turned around with consistent hydration. Hydrating properly can help an athlete sustain work capacity; in other words, athletes will be able to work harder if they drink more water.

In a study published in the Journal of Nutrition, researchers found that simply sitting at a desk can lead to dehydration and negative consequences even without visible sweating or exercise. However, this does not need to be consumed all in one go, a proactive approach is to aim for ml immediately post-exercise and then at regular intervals after that.

Most of what our bodies require to function comes from small electrical charges that are sent around the body. These electrical signals contribute to hydration as well as many other factors such as muscle contraction and nerve function. Our bodies need to maintain electrolytes so it can perform its variety of functions effectively.

Vital electrolytes that need topping up regularly include sodium, calcium, potassium, bicarbonate, chloride, phosphate and magnesium.

When we sweat during exercise, we predominately lose sodium and potassium, so these are important to think about when trying to stay hydrated. If our body is low in electrolytes, it can cause fatigue, headaches and dehydration. Long-term, if your body has consistently low levels of electrolytes there can lead to more serious consequences.

There are plenty of good food sources that provide electrolytes such as potatoes phosphorous and magnesium , leafy greens such as kale or spinach calcium and magnesium or coconut milk sodium, potassium, calcium and magnesium to name just a few examples!

At Science in Sport, we want you to be able to replace electrolytes easily on the go during exercise. Our two main products to aid with hydration are rich in electrolytes! Hydro is an effervescent tablet that dissolves in water, it was first developed to keep the British Sailing team optimally hydrated at the Beijing Olympics.

Each tablet contains:. Directions for use: consume ml of SiS GO Hydro hours prior to your event with a further ml in the hours before starting.

Then during exercise of a shorter length where carbohydrate is not necessary, consume ml of SiS GO Hydro per hour. Once prepared consume within 24 hours and do not consume more than 4 per day.

GO Electrolyte provides an electrolyte solution but with easily digestible carbohydrate. This can maintain endurance performance and protect against cramp.

American College of Sport Medicine. ACSM position stand: Exercise and fluid replacement. Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise 39 2 : — Maughan R. and L. Sport nutrition.