| There are a lot of myths concerning hydration | | | | 2kg or 2 litres of water (3% dehydration). To |
| and a lot of products out there which claim to be | | | | compensate, this person should aim to drink |
| essential to good training regimes. The fact is that | | | | 250ml every 20min (1 litre) and then 2 litres after |
| many of these myths and products actually | | | | training. 3 litres in total. |
| prevent you from operating at peak performance. | | | | What about Isotonic drinks? |
| The reality is, good hydration doesn't require a lot | | | | Many people take isotonic drinks during their |
| of complexity. It can be achieved quite simply | | | | exercise in the belief that it will help them maintain |
| with some common sense and a little knowledge | | | | higher energy. Whilst this might be true in part, |
| of how the body works. | | | | there are 3 traps to training with isotonic drinks: |
| Why hydration is important | | | | 1. The higher availability of simple sugars, reduces |
| According to Dr Fred Wadsworth, a leading sports | | | | the amount of fat your body buns to fuel your |
| physician and nutritionist, a 3% fall in hydration can | | | | exercise. Unless you're already at your target |
| have a significant impact on your performance: | | | | weight (BMI), this is counter productive. |
| * 8% loss in power, | | | | 2. The higher levels of sugar in your blood may |
| * 10% loss of speed and | | | | lead to a sudden drop in blood sugar as your |
| * 20% loss of cogitative ability (or put another | | | | body produces insulin to compensate. As a result |
| way, 1 in every 5 decisions you make will be bad | | | | you go from an energy high, to an energy low - |
| decisions). | | | | not what you're aiming for. |
| Dehydration also results in a lower blood volume | | | | 3. Many isotonic drinks are slightly acidic and this |
| which causes the heart to work harder to pump | | | | causes the fluid to be held in your stomach longer |
| the same amount of oxygen around the body. | | | | before being passed into the intestine where it |
| This is why many people see their heart rate | | | | can be absorbed. It's possible that with the wrong |
| take a step up, by 10 to 15 beats per minute, in | | | | isotonic drink, all you're doing is putting fluid into |
| the middle of their exercise. | | | | your stomach to slosh around during training |
| When you consider the effort we all expend in | | | | rather than into your blood stream where you |
| getting fitter, stronger, leaner and faster; good | | | | need it. |
| hydration is a quick and easy gain. Much easier | | | | To be clear, there is a time and a place for using |
| than training for that 10% improvement in | | | | the correct Isotonic drink, ie: when competing or |
| performance! | | | | training when you're already at your target BMI. |
| So how do you tell if you're dehydrated? | | | | Other than this, drink water! |
| There are a number of sophisticated ways you | | | | Correct sports hydration need not be difficult to |
| can measure hydration, but there are 2 easy | | | | achieve. Just keep the following guidelines in mind: |
| indicators everyone should keep an eye on: | | | | 1. Make sure you drink at least 2 litres of water |
| 1. Is your urine clear or dark yellow. This is an | | | | per day outside of exercise to ensure you're fully |
| obvious one and a simple way to track your | | | | hydrated before you begin. |
| hydration levels during the day, outside of | | | | 2. Know how much weight you loose during a |
| exercise. It goes without saying that you should | | | | period of exercise |
| be well hydrated before you start. | | | | 3. Drink 250ml of cold water every 20 min during |
| 2. The second method is to weigh yourself before | | | | exercise (warm water has become popular in |
| and after your training. This will tell you how much | | | | some places, but cold water is absorbed faster |
| fluid you've lost during training and is a key | | | | than warm water) |
| indicator of how much you need to drink both | | | | 4. Work out how much you need to have drunk |
| during and immediately after exercise. | | | | to have consumed 150% more weight than |
| As a rule of thumb, you should aim to drink 150% | | | | you've lost |
| of your lost fluid, during and after your training. | | | | 5. Consume enough water to offset your weight |
| You need to aim for this higher amount because | | | | loss, as soon as possible after training. |
| water is naturally drawn out of the blood and into | | | | With these simple guidelines, you will be able to |
| the kidneys, so to achieve full re-hydration, you | | | | stay fully hydrated. You'll also be able to exercise |
| have to put in more than you've lost. For | | | | at your peak power and speed; making each |
| example: A person who weights 70kg before | | | | training session as effective as it can be. |
| training, but 68kg after 1 hour of training has lost | | | | |