How to stay hydrated
Water is one of the most important nutrients in your sports diet. It helps eliminate food waste products in your body,
regulates body temperature during activity, helps digest, is involved in converting food into energy and helps lubricate joints. Athletes should drink as much water as they comfortably can. The effects of dehydration can be devastating to performance and over-all health. To protect against dehydration in hot weather, drink a little more than you are thirsty for.
It is important to remember that when choosing a drink to consume during workouts, it is best to avoid energy drinks due to the fact that they contain large amounts of sugar, caffeine and other chemicals that do more harm than good to your body. In addition, the ingredients in energy drinks are not regulated by the FDA and it doesn’t take much for an athlete to test positive to drug tests because of this.
Here are some important tips to remember: BEFORE ACTIVITY: Try to consume about 16 ounces of water up to two hours before an event. Then try to drink about 8-12 ounces more about 10 minutes before your competition or workout.
DURING ACTIVITY: Ideally, you should try to drink 8-10 ounces of water for every 15-20 minutes of strenuous exercise.
AFTER ACTIVITY: Fluids lost by sweating need to be replaced. Good recovery fluids include water, juices, milk, smoothies and sports drinks.
*Always drink as much water as you comfortably can and don’t wait until you are thirsty before you drink liquids.
