There’s a lot of misinformation circling among athletes about how much and when to hydrate, especially about the concept of functional dehydration. This strategy assumes abstinence from both food and water in order to get an athlete lighter and faster, but it’s actually working against them. In reality, it causes physical and mental performance to decrease even at 2% dehydration, so any advantage that is gained through the weight reduction is offset by a reduction in strength and mental ability.
Fortunately, there has also been a lot of fresh and detailed research on the benefits and new rules of proper hydration, and it’s imperative that everyone, common people and athletes, learn and practice them. Here are the basic principles.
Thirst is not a good indicator of dehydration
If you’re going for an easier workout of about an hour, it’s completely fine if you drink only when you’re thirsty. But in hot or humid conditions and for longer trainings, this would not suffice. Thirst is really a poor indicator of dehydration; it’s very subjective and it also becomes more unreliable as we age. Even when allowed to drink freely, younger athletes tend to start and finish still dehydrated.
In addition, drinking to thirst doesn’t necessarily rule out the risk of hyponatremia, whose symptoms are very similar to dehydration and make it very difficult for an athlete to recognize it during a competition.
Fortunately, there’s an easy way to for everyone to determine the exact amount of liquid they need: weigh yourself before your one-hour workout, and after. This difference will show you the weight of fluid you need to take in per hour. Repeat this in different temperatures and workout intensities, and you’ll get guidelines for every possible situation. Just make sure you don’t exceed too much the amount of water you lose as you’ll be on a sure path to hyponatremia.
Long events require more than just plain water
It very common for many athletes to give up on sports drinks in order to cut calories, so they move on to plain water. However, in competitions lasting for around five hours, this would lead to a disaster. Taking in only water and no sodium is a sure way to dilute yourself.
Sodium is crucial for your body to determine the amount of water a cell can hold. If it drops too low, the cells will take in too much water and swell, which can lead to pulmonary and cerebral edema. Although you can’t completely eliminate the risks of hyponatremia by taking in sodium, it’s still very useful in mitigating those risks.
If you dislike the taste of sports drinks, stick to your water. By using a reverse osmosis water filter, you will ensure you get the best taste and quality of your water, and to get that required dose of sodium, simply add electrolyte tablets.
How to speed up absorption rate
Athletes will frequently experience a slow movement of fluids through the stomach before they get absorbed into the bloodstream. It’s possible to speed up gastric emptying by adjusting how much and what you drink. This will lead to a faster and more efficient delivery of sodium, calories and fluid to the cells.
Firstly, the amount you take in matters. If you can manage, it’s better to take a few long pull offs than small sips every ten minutes. Also, you should think about the carb quantities in your drink, bearing in mind that anything over 7% will sit in your stomach longer, whereas a lower-carb drink will move faster through your body.
Your drink of choice
For workouts that don’t exceed 90 minutes, sipping on sports drinks is equivalent to sipping a soda in its caloric and sugar content. For high endurance workouts, sports drinks do the work as well. They have the capacity to increase performance due to their carbohydrate load. The formulas are designed so they achieve a good balance of carbs and electrolytes. They also contain quite a lot of sugar, but that’s exactly the fuel you need if you’re doing a prolonged exercise or high-intensity workout.
Making your own sports drink is another option, and it’s quite easy: you need water, carbs and electrolytes. For instance, blend cold watermelon juice, water, a bit of salt and ice. You can also dilute any juice, 50%-50% ratio, and you’ll get a good 6 to 7% carbohydrate blend.
Scientific proof
Finally, you can rely on science to track your fluid intake rate. Using a reagent urine test strip will provide specific information regarding urine pH, ketones, glucose, and protein levels. The most important information for you is the specific gravity i.e. the concentration of your urine. If it goes higher than 1.025, it means you’re dehydrated.
Drinking enough fluids and staying hydrated is crucial to staying healthy. With the tips listed here, you’ll have no trouble maintaining proper functioning of every system in your body, and achieve the best level of fitness.