Optimum hydration during exercise: Water is necessary for regulating our body temperature, supporting muscle movement, and preserving blood volume. All of these functions during exercise are based upon adequate fluid intake. It is crucial that we replenish the water lost when we perspiration during physical exertion, as this is how the body removes heat when sweat evaporates from the skin’s surface.
Optimum hydration during exercise: What is Hydration?
Hydration is the body’s capacity to assimilate water, the essential liquid it requires, and is proportional to the amount of water available to it. Every cell, tissue, and organ requires fluid for functions such as temperature regulation, debris removal, and joint lubrication.
This is accomplished predominantly through drinking liquids, preferably water, but approximately 20% of our water intake also comes from food.
Age, climate, and level of physical activity all influence hydration and, by extension, the amount of water we require. Normal physiological functions such as breathing and urinating also cause us to lose water, which must be replaced.
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Why is Hydration important in Sports?
Hydration is a very important factor in sports as athletes lose a lot of fluid as sweat, very rapidly. This can result in a significant decline in performance and increase the risk of heat-related injuries among athletes.
Optimum hydration during exercise is necessary as athletes must maintain their fluid balance with daily fluid intakes that match or slightly exceed their daily fluid loss. Each athlete’s pattern of fluid loss is unique; therefore, athletes must monitor their weight before and after training to determine their fluid losses. Athletes have an altered thirst response and must lose between 1.5 and 2 liters of water before experiencing thirst. Therefore, a person’s awareness of the quantity of fluid they lose will assist them in consuming sufficient fluids and avoiding severe dehydration.
Athletes should remain hydrated throughout their complete training session.
The following are methods for athletes to take care of their hydration:
Before Exercise
Athletes must begin exercise in a hydrated state; otherwise, the negative effects of dehydration will manifest early in their workout. Therefore, athletes should consume water or other fluids up to one hour before exercise (it takes approximately one hour for the kidneys to flush out excess water) and ensure that the color of their urine is pallid or white prior to beginning their workout. Water or moderate-concentration carbohydrate beverages, such as diluted fruit juices, lemonade, or sports drinks, are the best fluids to consume prior to exercise.
During Exercise
Fluid replacement beverages are most effective when they are rapidly emptied by the stomach and rapidly assimilated by the body to compensate for sweat loss. Water is sufficient for exercises lasting up to one hour; however, for extended durations, a carbohydrate and electrolyte solution is better accepted by athletes, better absorbed, and more beneficial for replenishing fuel and fluids. When begun within the first half-hour of exercise, consuming 150-350ml of fluid for every 5-20 minutes of exercise is beneficial for maintaining hydration. Fluids that are cooler than room temperature are discharged from the stomach more quickly. Similarly, 6-8 percent carbohydrate solutions with modest amounts of sodium and chloride (such as sports drinks) are emptied more quickly and tolerated better by athletes.
However, individual needs must be considered in order to replace or slightly exceed the quantity of fluid lost by an athlete during exercise.
After Exercise
4 to 6 hours after exercise, athletes must consume 25 to 50 percent more fluids than their weight loss to maintain hydration. A little more than 1 liter of fluid should be consumed for each kilogram of weight loss. In addition to water, an athlete may consume a variety of energy- and nutrient-rich fluids after exercise, such as fruit beverages, milkshakes, buttermilk, smoothies, soups, and gruels. Although perspiration contains sodium, it is not advised to consume large amounts of sodium in sports drinks because sweat contains very little sodium and dehydration may increase the blood’s sodium content. Therefore, modest amounts of sodium, such as a pinch of salt per 200ml of fluid, are sufficient in post-exercise drinks, as the remainder is obtained from the daily diet.
What are Sport Drinks and when should they be consumed?
Sports drinks, also known as fluid replacement beverages, are commonly understood to be beverages formulated to provide rapid fluid replacement, electrolyte replenishment, and carbohydrate sustenance for working muscles. These beverages may be intended for consumption before, during, and after exercise.
If young athletes are exercising for less than one hour, water is generally sufficient for hydration. However, for extended and intense exercises lasting longer than an hour, sports drinks can be beneficial to replenish lost glucose, fluids, and electrolytes mainly sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium from sweating during strenuous exercise.
Optimum hydration during exercise is essentially provided by Sports drinks as they either contain carbohydrates in the form of sugar (such as glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, or sucrose) or contain no sugar and are flavored with low-calorie sweeteners. The proportions of sugar and electrolytes in sports beverages are calculated to facilitate rapid hydration and absorption.
This form of nutrient depletion typically occurs only after an hour or more of vigorous exercise. For non-athletes, a sports drink is simply another sweetened beverage.
Therefore, it is essential for athletes to maintain proper hydration in order to perform at their best every day.