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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.

Good hydration also helps remove metabolic by-products and waste from muscles, while replacing the water that is lost through sweat. How can proper hydration help young athletes reduce injury risk?

Recommended daily water intake for athletes Fluid needs vary based on activity, intensity, environmental conditions, body size of the athlete and training status. Calculating sweat rate Knowing an athlete's sweat rate is important when monitoring hydration.

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.

SAC Visit Athletics Box Office Campus Map Parking Planetarium Tours Transparency Accreditation Accessibility Board of Trustees Agenda Construction COVID Updates Doing Business with Mt. Image credit: Ethan McArthur via Unsplash Copyright free. Many of these studies appeared to demonstrate that dehydration was a serious performance limiter, especially during endurance sports in the heat.

It included the statement:. During exercise, athletes should start drinking early and at regular intervals in an attempt to consume fluids at a rate sufficient to replace all the water lost through sweating or consume the maximal amount that can be tolerated. Other examples include the High Carb vs Low Carb diet debate and Cushioned, Supportive running shoes vs Barefoot Running.

We struggle with grey areas, even though that tends to be where the answers to complicated questions often reside! He uncovered a growing number of cases of hyponatremia - a sometimes fatal condition characterised by low blood sodium levels - in an increasing number of endurance athletes who had seemingly followed advice to drink as much as they could.

In this he suggests that hyponatremia has become a significant problem largely because of the marketing efforts of the sports drink industry. He makes the tragic point that there have been a number of preventable deaths from over-drinking and that these could have been avoided with more balanced messaging.

Image credit: Press and Journal ©. Because there is considerable variability in sweating rates and sweat electrolyte content between individuals, customized fluid replacement programs are recommended.

He argues, quite compellingly, that the human body is designed to optimize its own hydration levels so, if you drink to thirst, that is basically all you need to know about hydration.

End of story. This approach has merit in many circumstances. This is most likely to be the case during ultra-distance events, where total sweat losses can be significant over a long period of time, especially in the heat. Maybe because of the human tendency towards tribalism, there are currently two opposing camps in hydration science.

At the sharp end, it seems that opinion is moving towards a view that, whilst drinking to thirst is a sensible approach for shorter or lighter activities, during very long events in the heat, when total sweat and electrolyte losses are high, replenishment might need to be approached more proactively than would be the case in shorter bouts of activity.

Examples of the efficacy of this approach include this study by researchers in Spain, which showed faster racing times for athletes given salt supplements during a middle distance triathlon compared to a control group given placebos.

Drinking to thirst is likely to be a good approach in day to day life, or endurance training completed at a very low intensity.

Carry your water bottle or stop by the water fountain between classes. Do not drink a large volume of fluid right before an event or physical activity. This may not fully hydrate or rehydrate the athlete. This may cause stomach discomfort or a trip to the restroom during the event.

Drink plenty of fluids during and after the event. Learn what works for different activities. How Much Fluid Does My Athlete Need? Hydration Strategy for Sports Having a plan for staying hydrated is essential for young athletes playing sports or doing other physical activities.

After puberty, an athlete may sweat more, so replacing electrolytes becomes more important. Some salty snack ideas are sports drinks with six to eight percent carbohydrate, pretzels or salty crackers, cheese, pickles, or broth-based soup or vegetable juice.

A sports drink or salty snack may be needed for the following: High intensity activities lasting longer than an hour Tournaments and back-to-back events Hot conditions, indoors or outdoors Having salt on the skin or clothes after activity.

Signs and Symptoms of Dehydration If your young athlete is experiencing any of the following signs and symptoms, he or she may be dehydrated, and a hydration strategy may be needed. If your child is especially lethargic, a call to your medical provider may be in order.

Signs and Symptoms of Heat Illness Heat illness is a preventable condition, and dehydration is an early sign of heat illness. Respond quickly if you notice any of the following signs of heat illness: Weakness Vomiting Excessive thirst Headache Fatigue Sweating Nausea Light-headedness Confusion or disorientation If your child is exhibiting one or more of the signs of heat illness, immediately call your medical provider for assistance to determine if treatment is needed.

It is important that your young athlete knows these signs and symptoms so that they can recognize heat illness if they experience it. Additional Support With practice, a young athlete should learn what hydration strategy works best for training and competition.

So, how does dehydration affect sports performance? Turning up dehydrated puts added pressure on your body to supply muscles with nutrients and oxygen, meaning your heart needs to work much harder to meet that demand resulting in premature fatigue. Colour, volume, and smell are good indicators of hydration status — dark colour, small amounts, and strong smells can all signal dehydration.

Monitoring hydration status should be a key part of your training! See the urine colour chart to manage your hydration practices.

During exercise, you should attempt to replace some of the water lost through sweat, but this should never be done at the expense of gastrointestinal GI discomfort. See below. However, if you are doing intensive exercises or training, you might want to consider taking sports drinks that contain carbs and electrolytes like sodium and potassium, which you lose while sweating.

Water is the best for all kinds of exercises, and it does well for any physical activity. However, energy drinks and sports drinks claim to improve energy levels, increase resistance and endurance, and improve performance. Energy drinks may contain caffeine which helps to promote alertness for improved energy levels and sports performance during intensive training and competition.

Caffeine has been shown to increase energy and fight muscle fatigue amongst adults. In conclusion, you might benefit from moderate consumption of either sports drinks or caffeinated drinks like coffee before training. Also, Learn about Is Diet Coke Better Than Regular Coke? Also, Learn: Is Caffeine a Diuretic?

Staying hydrated is vital for athletes who undertake larger than normal volumes of training, and therefore must drink a lot more fluids to match that loss through sweat. Dehydration impairs performance and therefore must be avoided to maintain training intensity.

Normal people who go to the gym and exercise frequently also need to prioritize hydration. Athletes can measure their hydration status by analyzing their urine color and frequency of urination.

Urine should be a clear, straw-like color to show good hydration levels, and going more frequently, whereas a darker yellow color, stronger smell, and going less often suggest dehydration. Drinks that are classed as diuretics, mainly alcohol and caffeinated drinks over ~mg, may be linked to dehydration.

A urine color test is a very reliable and practical way of assessing hydration status. Monitoring sweat rates are a great way for athletes to determine the correct amount of fluid they need after exercise to rehydrate. Athletes will generally sweat more in hotter conditions and climates, therefore needing to drink more to rehydrate during and after training.

Having a sweat patch test done during training helps to accurately analyze your total sweat and sodium losses so you know how much and what type of drinks you need to consume to stay fully hydrated to maximize performance.

Water is important for hydration but you can have too much of a good thing, meaning that drinking too much water can be detrimental to sports performance. Drinking too much water can create an imbalance between the amount of water and sodium in your body, which can lead to Hyponatremia.

Athletes will be okay only drinking water for shorter training sessions, typically 1 hour or less. Dehydration causes: 1 Premature fatigue 2 increased heart rate 3 impaired thermoregulation 4 reduced concentration and cognitive function 5 greater reliance on muscle glycogen for energy 6 higher RPE 7 joint stiffness.

Sweat is made up of water but also contains vital electrolytes such as sodium, potassium, and chloride. Consuming drinks or supplements that contain these electrolytes helps to rehydrate better than water alone. Water is irreplaceable.

Sports drinks can be beneficial if you use them to complement water instead of using them to substitute water. The main ingredient of sports drinks is water, but the addition of electrolytes and carbohydrates make them a good energy drink during intense training sessions.

Drinking enough fluids to ensure your urine is a clear color and you are well hydrated before training is key. A good rule of thumb is to drink ml two hours before exercise. So long as you are well hydrated before you start training, you can drink to thirst for sessions less than 2 hours long.

On the other hand, some sports like cycling and triathlon that require strategic hydration strategies for their events will need to practice these during training to match their measured sweat rates. Measuring the changes in your body weight during training will give you a good idea of how much to drink to rehydrate.

To replenish lost fluids and be prepared for the next game or training session, athletes should drink 1.

Whether you're an amateur athlete or competing is your job, good hydration is essential to ensuring that you perform at your best every day. How Long Does It Take to Create a Healthy Habit That Lasts? Understanding Sports Nutrition for Teens. If you're a parent of a teen athlete, you want to see your child thrive in their sport.

But knowing what and how much to feed your young athlete can be challenging. You know nutrition is an important part of an active lifestyle, but which foods best support energy levels and help to improve sports performance?

Understanding the three main components of nutrition for athletes — pre-workout fueling, hydration and post-workout recovery — is a good place to start. Advanced rehydration to quickly replenish fluids and electrolytes to help you feel better fast.

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