It is widely suggested that drinking to thirst i. listening to your body and only taking in as much as your sense of thirst tells you that you need is the best way of preventing hyponatremia, and this seems to be good advice to follow in most normal circumstances.

Whilst hyponatremia may well be less likely to occur in the immediate build-up to an event as your body is more able to pee out any excess water you take in, this still does not mean that drinking very large volumes of fluid is either necessary or safe, especially at times when sweat losses are not great as is often the case when you are tapering down.

This is because as you drink more and pee more, additional sodium is lost in urine and the overall levels of sodium in the blood gradually get diluted down to their lowest acceptable levels.

Whilst this might not manifest itself as a serious case of hyponatremia, even a mild case can adversely affect your performance as low blood sodium levels make you feel fatigued and lethargic.

In essence, a good pre-competition hydration routine should deliver you to the starting of your race optimally hydrated i. neither under nor over-hydrated. It will ensure that your body fluid levels are at the top end of normal but bear in mind that taking in too much fluid to try to achieve this can lead to the depletion of sodium levels in the blood.

To get to this optimum state the first and most important thing to do is to avoid dramatically over-drinking. Whilst it is a good idea to take in one or two additional cups of fluid each day in the final couple of days to make up for any lingering shortfall in your system it is certainly not necessary or beneficial to go crazy with the drinking over and above what your body is telling you that you need.

Urine color and thirst remain the most helpful indicators of hydration status that you have at your disposal. If you are getting the balance about right you should be passing reasonable quantities of straw-colored pee a few times a day and not feeling too thirsty.

Trust your body on this. There are many different brands of sports drinks out there, so which one is the best for athletes? TAPOUT Citrus contains: Potassium Magnesium Calcium Chloride Vitamins A, E, C, B2, B3, B5, B6 and B12 While we recommend athletes consider our Citrus flavor for the carbohydrates, those seeking a low-carb, zero-sugar sports beverage can rest assured that our Cherry Lemonade contains all the same sodium, vitamins and electrolytes as our Citrus flavor.

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Reading Mask. Highlight Hover. Bushman, B. Exercise in the Heat and Adequate Hydration. ACSM Health Fitness J. DOI: Lopez, R. Exercise and Hydration: Individualizing Fluid Replacement Guidelines.

Strength Conditioning J. Shirreffs, S. Hydration in Sport and Exercise: Water, Sports Drinks and Other Drinks. Nutrition Bulletin. By Laura Williams Laura Williams is a fitness expert and advocate with certifications from the American Council on Exercise and the American College of Sports Medicine.

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Sports Drink How to Boost Flavor. By Laura Williams. Laura Williams. Laura Williams is a fitness expert and advocate with certifications from the American Council on Exercise and the American College of Sports Medicine.

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Learn about our Medical Review Board. Table of Contents View All. Table of Contents. Hydration Guidelines for Athletes. Calculating Recommended Water Intake.

When to Hydrate. When Should You Drink Water vs. Frequently Asked Questions. Next in Hydration Guide. Ramin Modabber, MD There is no formula for what an ideal amount of fluid consumption is. Ramin Modabber, MD.

How to Know if You Need a Hydration Supplement. Choose Hydrating Foods Remember that in addition to drinking water and other fluids, fruits and vegetables are considered hydrating foods. Rathna Nuti, MD Thirst is not a dehydration barometer.

How to Properly Rehydrate After a Workout. Drinks for Restoring Electrolyte Balance To help you decide which drinks to use, Dr.

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Preventing dehydration involves more than simply drinking before, during and after exertion. If you're drinking plenty of fluids regularly, your body will be more apt to fight off dehydration during competition. Just scheduling your fluid intake isn't necessarily enough, you should pay close attention to the types of fluid you put into your body.

You lose a lot more than fluids when you sweat. When you sweat you lose electrolytes, sodium and vitamins that water doesn't contain. Let's take a look at why these elements are important? Your body requires sodium in order to store and use fluids properly, and simply drinking water just won't cut it.

A sports beverage such as TAPOUT can give you the natural sodium your body requires to optimally utilize the fluids you consume. Some athletes may require more sodium than others, so it's important to pay attention to the signs your body is losing sodium from sweat.

If your sweat smells or tastes extremely salty, you might be losing sodium more rapidly than you realize. If this is the case, consider consuming an extra TAPOUT Performance beverage rather than water during competition.

Under intense activity, your body will burn electrolytes and vitamins. Electrolytes help your muscles remain hydrated and aid in post-competition recovery and vitamins are essential for peak physical and mental performance.

When planning your fluid intake for any sport, make sure to include a sports beverage that contains plenty of vitamins and electrolytes. Choosing a sports performance drink that contains carbohydrates is also important.

Your body converts carbohydrates into energy, and you may need a boost at practice, games or other forms of competition. Consuming a sports drink containing carbs is a fast and efficient way to refuel your body to give you the energy required to continue at the top of your game.

TAPOUT Citrus contains plenty of carbs, natural sodium, electrolytes and vitamins. In fact, at mg TAPOUT contains more natural sodium than any other major sports drink brand. This sodium will aid your body in optimizing fluid usage and help prevent dehydration. Our Citrus flavor also contains 30 grams of carbs to give you the energy needed under pressure.

The delicious taste and extra sodium are just two aspects that set TAPOUT apart from the rest. TAPOUT is the only major sports drink to contain all four electrolytes athletes need and a scientifically formulated complement of vitamins.

TAPOUT Citrus contains:. While we recommend athletes consider our Citrus flavor for the carbohydrates, those seeking a low-carb, zero-sugar sports beverage can rest assured that our Cherry Lemonade contains all the same sodium, vitamins and electrolytes as our Citrus flavor.

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For any assistance, please reach out to info splashbeveragegroup. Share 0. Tweet 0. Many times athletes wait to drink until they are thirsty.

Thirst is not an accurate indicator of how much fluid an athlete has lost. Athletes who wait to replenish body fluids until feeling thirsty are already dehydrated. As a matter of fact, most individuals do not become thirsty until more than 2 percent of body weight is lost.

Waiting until you are thirsty can affect your performance. When athletes only drink enough to quench their thirst, they may still be dehydrated.

For best results, keep a bottle of fluid available when working out and drink as often as desired, ideally every minutes. Table 12 lists guidelines for fluid replacement from the National Athletic Trainers Association, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, and the American College of Sports Medicine.

It appears that athletes who consume a sports drink can maintain blood glucose levels at a time when muscle glycogen stores are diminished. This allows carbohydrate utilization and energy production to continue at high rates.

Research has also shown that mouth rinses with carbohydrates can improve performance at rates similar to ingestion. Beverages containing more than one kind of sugar i. glucose and fructose can increase carbohydrate absorption rates because each sugar is absorbed via different channels.

The ingestion of sodium during exercise may help with maintenance or restoration of plasma volume during exercise and recovery. The consumption of sports drinks containing sodium helps retain water in the body and aids in hydration by increasing the absorption of fluid from the intestines into the muscles.

Recent research has suggested that a percent carbohydrate sport drink with at least mg of sodium per 8 ounce serving empties from the stomach just as fast as plain water.

Endurance activities lasting longer than three hours may require as much as mg of sodium per 8 ounce serving. There has been concern by parents, coaches, and athletes that sports drinks may contain too much sodium. However, many fluid replacement drinks are low in sodium.

An 8 ounce serving of a fluid replacement drink can have a sodium content similar to that of a cup of reduced fat milk. Most Americans consume too much sodium through processed and convenience foods, not through fluid replacement drinks.

The ideal fluid replacement beverage is one that tastes good, does not cause GI discomfort or distress when consumed in large volumes, promotes rapid fluid absorption and maintenance of body fluid, and provides energy to working muscles during intense training and competition.

The following guidelines for maintaining body fluid balance, improving performance in the heat, and preventing heat-related illness appear to be prudent based on current scientific knowledge. Read the full Nutrition Guide and learn more about how to get peak performance with optimal nutrition.

Fluids and Hydration. In these situations, experts recommend a sports drink containing at least to mg of sodium per 8oz.

This will replace fluid and electrolytes lost through sweat. The specially trained experts at Children's Health Andrews Institute Sports Performance powered by EXOS help young athletes perform their best while remaining healthy and safe.

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X Facebook Linked In Email. Why is hydration important in sports? Benefits of staying hydrated include: Improved muscle function. Hydrated muscles function better than dehydrated muscles.

Regulated blood pressure. Improved circulation. Staying hydrated also improves blood flow and circulation and thus the delivery of oxygen and nutrients to working muscles.