Hydration for athletes is a critical component of their success and overall health and performance. I am certain that you’re reading this blog today because you want to be your best but you might be experiencing some dehydration dangers and not knowing the root cause.

If you feel thirst, dry mouth, fatigue, dizziness, and experience dark urine, it's important to take a break from your physical activity and rehydrate as soon as possible. However, if the situation gets tougher, it might sound challenging to you.

In this blog, you’ll understand better about your body and the importance of hydration for athletes. You’ll get answers to other questions too such as why are you experiencing health issues even if you’re physically active and what is the ideal fluid hydration for athletes.

Why is hydration important for athletes?

Let’s understand more about the importance of hydration for athletes. If you’re dehydrated, you aren’t able to maintain your peak physical condition. Dehydration occurs when you’re losing more fluids than you’re taking in. Take note that you lose fluids when you’re sweating, urinating, or even by simply breathing.

Think of your respiratory tract as the soil in the garden. It can absorb and retain water, but like the soil, it can also dry out when you exhale. This is called insensible water loss because the amount of fluid lost is small. However, like the soil, in order to help the garden to thrive, your respiratory tract should maintain its moisture. In fact, the air we inhale is actually drier than the air inside the lungs. This only means that if you’re an athlete who exercises or practices in a drier or hotter environment, it’s a factor to consider too.

Hydration Benefits and Dehydration Dangers

I know that you love hearing good news but let’s start by discussing dehydration dangers first:

Decreased endurance

Athletes who don’t replenish lost fluids may experience reduced performance including endurance, speed, and strength. Dehydration may cause a decrease in blood volume leading to struggles in pumping blood and oxygen delivery to the muscles. This is supported by a study published in 2010 where researchers found that when the participants were dehydrated by 3% of their body weight, there was a significant decrease in endurance capacity.

Risk of Physical Injury

If you’re wondering why you suddenly experience muscle cramps, dehydration is one of the causes. It can also be the reason for sprains, strains, and heat stroke. But how do these happen? The increase in body temperature when an athlete is dehydrated is one root cause. Another one is the decrease in joint lubrication. I hope you see how important hydration for athletes is? Those who don’t rehydrate can also experience a delayed recovery process and feel muscle soreness and fatigue for a longer period of time.

Less Focus

Athletes require focus, concentration, and sharp cognitive function before, during, and after every activity. Dehydration can affect all of these and may impact the overall performance of an athlete. Loss of fluid in the body may decrease the electrolyte level (sodium in particular) which is essential in transmitting nerve impulses for maximized cognitive function.

These are just some of the reasons why hydration for athletes requires attention because these dehydration dangers can only happen if there’s no proper hydration in your body. There are other risks such as constipation, bloating, and nausea. You may also experience a weaker immune system which increases your risk of illness and infection.

So, what are the amazing benefits of hydration in sports nutrition?

Let me share some:

1. Improved performance for longer period of time

2. Quicker replacement or fluids and electrolytes to help in the recovery process

3. Prevention of cramping and other physical injuries

4. Improved focus and alertness

5. Prevention of heat stroke and exhaustion

6. Immune system boost to reduce illness and infection

7. Improved nutrient absorption

What is the ideal fluid hydration for athletes?

Every athlete is uniquely built so when choosing the best athlete hydration calculator out there, expect to answer questions like:

• How long have you worked out or practiced?

• How intense was your workout?

• What’s the temperature in the area?

• How much do you weigh?

• How tall are you?

• What’s the color of your urine?

• And others.

Drink when you feel thirsty

Also, take note that as an athlete, you have a different water intake requirement compared to inactive individuals. Thirst becomes a not-all-the-time reliable sign of dehydration according to American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM) President, W. Larry Kenney, Ph.D. Hydration for athletes is truly a different story.

The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN), came up with a guideline to help you stay properly hydrated.

It’s divided into three categories:

• Pre-exercise hydration (don’t forget to weigh in after hydrating)

• During exercise hydration

• Post-exercise rehydration (remember to weigh in again to know how much fluid to take to rehydrate)

ISSN suggests to take 500ml of water before bedtime, 500ml upon waking up, and another 400-600ml of water 30 minutes before your exercise, work out, or competition. During the course of the activity, they recommend drinking 12-16oz. every 5 to 15 minutes. Finally, after the workout, ISSN suggests that for every pound your body loses, you rehydrate by drinking 3 cups of water.

Conclusion: Hydration in Sports Nutrition

As mentioned above, your body is unique. What was suggested by ISSN is based on the average person so you may not fully rely on it. Hydration in sports nutrition can be a challenge but with one small action at a time, you can discover what works for you. As someone who truly cares for you though, I’d recommend to always pay attention to your body. Whatever it is that you are doing to maintain your overall health and wellness as an athlete, keep up with the good work. You might also want to be mindful of the drinking water mistakes so you can prevent them.

In case you’re still on a hunt for other simple ways to optimize your performance and vitality, I’ve put up an ultimate guide you can get for free when you sign up below. I promise, you’re going to love all the key actions stated inside.