Hydration: It’s Important!

Hydration

Fluids are essential for human life. It’s intuitive, since 60-75% of our bodies are made out of water! Fluids lubricate joints and tissues, dissolve and transport nutrients, remove waste products and help with temperature regulation. For the general population, the daily recommendations for fluid intake from beverages (water, milk, chocolate milk, juice etc.) are as follows:

Teens (14-18 years): 8 cups (1.8L) per day for females & 11 cups (2.6L) for males

Adults (19+ years): 9 cups (2.2L) for females & 3L (13 cups) for males.

Athletes should pay very close attention to their hydration status because they sweat more, and thus lose more fluid than the average person does. Dehydration can have devastating consequences, which include:

• Increased physiological strain (heart rate, core temperature)
• Increased perceived effort/exertion
• Decreased aerobic performance
• Decreased cognitive/mental performance
• Increased risk for heat stroke and heat illness
• Increased risk for skeletal muscle cramps

Any athlete that is serious about their performance should have a hydration action plan that accounts for the fluid lost during training. Timing hydration around exercise is a critical part of ensuring a gold medal performance during training and competition. Follow the steps below to develop a hydration plan for yourself.

Developing a Hydration Action Plan:

1. Start a hydration log that tracks all of you fluid intake to see if you are meeting your fluid needs.
2. Monitor the color of your urine throughout the day. You should be aiming for a pale yellow colour (similar to the colour of straw), especially before training or competition.
3. Pre-hydrate with 4-7ml fluid per kg body weight 3-4 hours before exercise.
4. Aim to drink 2-3 large gulps of fluid (125-250mls) every 20-30 minutes during activity.
5. Conduct a sweat test to determine your sweat rate. Take your weight (nude or in little clothing) right before and immediately after exercise and record the difference. After exercise, aim to replace 100-150% of lost fluid. (ie. Loss of 1kg bodyweight = replace with 1.5L of fluid). Choose high quality fluids like water, milk, chocolate milk, and 100% real fruit juice.

References:

Dietary Reference Intakes for Water, Potassium, Sodium, Chloride and Sulfate. National Academy of Sciences, 2004.

Sawka, M., Burke, L., Eichner, E., Maughan, R., Montain, S., & Stachenfeld, N. (2007). American College of Sports Medicine Position Stand. Exercise and Fluid Replacement. Medicine Science in Sports Exercise, 39(2), 377-390.