Proper Hydration For Workouts

Hydration levels are the most over looked aspect of an athlete’s workout. Approximately 60% of body weight is water. Dehydration occurs when this fluid is not replaced at regular intervals during training or competition. This dehydrated state causes an athlete to have a decreased volume of blood circulating through the body, which results in:

A decreased amount of blood pumped with each heart beat

• Muscles not receiving the necessary amount of fresh oxygen
• Exhaustion and a reduction in athletic performance.

Athletes lose a valuable chance to better themselves when performance suffers during a workout. Every minute an athlete can spend in preparation for an effective training session gives them a greater chance to succeed in competition.

Research has shown that a loss of as little as 2% body weight through dehydration will negatively affect athletic performance. As an example, if a 150-pound athlete loses just 3 pounds of fluid, they will experience a level of dehydration that will reduce their ability to perform at optimum levels during a workout or competition. Proper fluid replenishment is the key to preventing dehydration and reducing the risk of heat-injury in athletes engaged in training and competition.

Ways to Prevent Dehydration

The easiest way to prevent dehydration is to consume plenty of fluids before, during, and after a workout or competition. Many athletes do not realize that they are impacting their performance due to a dehydrated state.  Here are some easy tips on how to monitor your hydration using two helpful techniques:

• Weighing before and after practice.

- For every pound lost during the workout, drink three cups of fluid in order to rehydrate the body.

• Checking urine color.

- Urine that is dark gold in color indicates dehydration.

- Urine similar in color to pale lemonade or weak tea is a sign of a hydrated athlete.

Caution:

Athletes who are feeling thirsty are already dehydrated. As a matter of fact, most individuals do not become thirsty until more than 2% of body weight is lost. 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 stop to take a drink every 15-20 minutes.

Quick Tips to Stay Hydrated

1.     MONITOR FLUID LOSSES:

• Weigh-in before and after training, especially during hot weather and conditioning phase of the season

2.     FOR EACH POUND lost during exercise, drink three 8 oz. cups of fluid

3.     DO NOT RESTRICT fluids before, during or after the event

4.     DO NOT RELY on thirst as an indicator

Online Training Resources

American College of Sports Medicine
http://www.acsm.org

American Dietetic Association
http://www.eatright.org

Center for Food Safety and Applied Nutrition – U.S.Food and Drug Administration
http://www.cfsan.fda.gov

Center for Nutrition Policy and Promotion
http://www.usda.gov/cnpp

Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005
http://www.healthierus.gov/dietaryguidelines

National Agricultural Library,U.S.Department of Agriculture
http://www.nutrition.gov

National Center for Drug-Free Sport
http://www.drugfreesport.com/choices

National Health Information Center – U.S.Department of Health & Human Services
http://www.healthfinder.gov

National Institutes of Health
http://www.win.niddk.nih.gov

National Athletic Trainers’ Association
http://www.nata.org