Many people are surprised to learn that hydration is one of the most important contributors to your quality and level of athletic performance. Dehydration can impair performance and mental ability, especially in hot weather. Sportspeople of all ages need to hydrate before, during and after exercise to be able to prolong their performance and aid recovery.
Accredited Practising Dietitian Tracy McHarg explains this concept and provides some simple tips to stay healthy, hydrated and active:
Pre - exercise hydration:
It's too late to leave drinking fluid until you are on the field or the court, so it's important to plan in advance and start drinking fluids regularly in the lead up to your exercise session.
However don't drink too much all at once. If you drink an excessive amount of fluid directly before sport, you could feel bloated and uncomfortable during exercise. So, if you'd rather keep your mind on the game, make sure you drink slowly over a period of a few hours before activity and have a small drink 10-15 minutes before you exercise.
Hydration during exercise:
Regular fluid replacement is crucial when undertaking physical activity to replace the fluids you lose through perspiration, especially in hot weather. Staying hydrated will reduce the risk of heat stress, maintain performance levels and help to maintain normal muscle function.
Don't force your fluids. It's important to drink at a comfortable rate to replace the fluid you lose through perspiration. Over-consumption of fluids is not a good idea, so take small sips regularly.
Post-exercise hydration:
Your body doesn't stop working when you stop moving. Long after your heart rate reaches its resting rate; your body will continue to lose fluids during recovery, both through sweating and also normal urine losses. It is important to replace water and electrolytes such as sodium, lost in sweat. Sodium is the reason that sweat tastes salty.
If you've had a heavy session of exercise, winding down with a sports drink can be a good idea as it will contribute to your much needed post-exercise fluid and carbohydrate intake.
Matching your drink to your level of exercise:
So how do you know which drinks are best suited to you and the intensity level of your physical activity? Here's a basic guide:
In low intensity sports and short bouts of exercise, plain water is the best choice.
In high intensity and endurance sports, sports drinks which contain added carbohydrates and electrolytes are ideal because they fuel our muscles and replace electrolytes lost through sweating afterwards.
Quick tip!
Next time you exercise, quickly weigh yourself before and after you hit the field. This will give you an indication of how much fluid you actually lose during physical activity. Figure out the amount of kilograms you've lost per hour and you should be drinking around 1.5 times that amount of fluid to stay hydrated.
For example: If you've lost 1kg per hour of exercise, you will need to drink 1.5 litres of fluid within 2-6 hours |
A quick note on dehydration:
Common indicators of dehydration are a dull headache, thirst, a dry mouth, skin flushing and fatigue. Thirst is not a good indicator of dehydration during exercise though, so it is important to keep your fluid intake up to match your sweat rate. As you become increasingly dehydrated, there is a gradual decrease in physical and mental performance, making exercise feel harder and causing an increase in your body temperature.
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