HYDRATION FOR ATHLETES

Managing hydration is one of the most crucial elements of performance and training, and it’s something that seems to be commonly misunderstood. Staying properly hydrated is often grossly oversimplified; reduced to “just drink more water” by the minimalists among us. On the other hand, folks from the sport drink, energy fuel, and fitness industries are always trying to convince us that water can’t do the job – that lab-made products with page after page explaining physiological interactions are worth $20 a bottle.

The reality is somewhere in between! Water alone will not rehydrate your body to a healthy extent, but with a healthy, varied diet, consistent drinking habits, and the occasional electrolyte boost, you shouldn’t need any miracle hydration techniques. In fact, the ability to know when your body is hydrated or dehydrated is far more helpful! Here are some key hydration tips for the when, why, and how of replenishing your body’s fluids.

 

Drink Early and Often

We’ll touch on sports drinks and electrolytes later, but even if you decide to use performance beverages, you still need water too! The easiest way to maintain your hydration while training is to start early and practice good hydration 24/7. You’ll be able to maximize your performance by ensuring that you start off well-hydrated, rather than just worrying about re-hydrating after the fact.

Research suggests that 16-24 ounces of water should be consumed around two hours before the start of a training session or event. Think of this as your base coat! Once you’re underway, pay attention to your body (we’ll cover tips on how to do this towards the end of the article), as every athlete has unique hydration needs and responses during a performance. Keep your water intake balanced, and don’t chug down bottles of water just because you’re hot and sweaty!

For endurance sessions, try a few small sips of water every 10 minutes or so. Shorter, more intense exertions might benefit from longer, but fewer water breaks – split your session and take a 15 minute halftime to drink 8-16 ounces of water and do some stretching before tackling the rest of your workout. Don’t stop drinking just because you’re done sweating! After a workout, continue to drink 8-16 ounces of water every hour for 2-3 hours. For a more precise understanding of your post-workout fluid needs, you can use your body weight. Measure your weight before and after a workout to gauge the amount of fluid lost during exercise. For each pound lost, aim to replenish your body with 24 ounces of water/sports drink. If you gained weight while working out, you are likely overhydrating – try to drink less during, and focus on replenishing after.

 

Embrace Electrolytes

Electrolytes are essential minerals that are vital to your body’s regular functions, and particularly for athletes in pursuit of peak performance. Electrolytes you’ll recognize include sodium, potassium, and magnesium. Electrolytes have a ton of responsibilities, but most importantly, they help to regulate the fluid levels and pH balance in your body by retaining or releasing the fluid you take in. So it makes sense that they’re so important to the hydration conversation! These minerals also contribute to the construction of new tissue and the ability for muscles to contract.

Carbs Matter!

Optimal hydration comes from the combination of electrolytes, water AND carbohydrates. You need all THREE to get the fluids in to your cells and for them to stay there keeping you hydrated.

For low-intensity or shorter workouts, you’ll be fine with drinking water and getting a normal amount of electrolytes and carbs from your diet. Most fruits and vegetables are naturally hydrating, while also being packed with vitamins and important minerals. The carbohydrates you consume in your diet when combine with the electrolytes in your foods and regular water intake, will keep you hydrated optimally for the most part.

For longer and higher intensity sessions you are going to want to add more water, electrolytes and carbohydrates to the mix and this is where a high-quality sports drink/ gel can be most useful. There are so many options on the market, some great and some terrible!!! Don’t trust the marketing. Instead look for well-studied, reviewed and scientifically sound products. Chat with your PKRS.AI nutritionist about what products might be best for you and how to mix them so that you can absorb them optimally.

 

Check In

As mentioned above, it’s arguably more important to be able to assess your hydration levels rather than having a magical silver bullet of hydration. You’re probably familiar with most of these, but you’d be surprised at how often they get ignored! It’s easy to forget about hydration until you begin to feel poorly, so checking in with some of these methods can help keep your fluid balance in a good place at all times.

The thirst mechanism in our bodies is not exactly perfect, but it’s a good bottom line; drink moderate amounts regularly BEFORE you feel mild thirst or a dry mouth.. Urine is an obvious indicator of hydration, with the optimal shade being a pale yellow.

You can also try the pinch test; use your thumb and pointer finger to gently pinch the skin on the back of your hand and hold it for a few seconds. If you’re properly hydrated, the skin should snap back to its normal shape almost instantly – a delay indicates dehydration. This is because the elasticity, or turgor, of your skin can drastically lessen during fluid loss.

And finally, just listen to your body! Muscle fatigue, dizziness, and lightheadedness are all indicators of dehydration. While we understand the temptation to push out one more set or knock out one more mile, know that it’s ok to stop, breathe, rehydrate, and get back after it in 15 minutes. Your body will thank you!

 

Test it!!!!

I do a hydration and sodium analysis during lactate testing. The learnings from these tests are making a huge difference to my athletes performance and health. We often uncover that athletes need far more water and/or far more sodium than they are currently taking in. Getting the balance of this right is the key to success.

Book a test with me now : cg@coachgareth.com