If you're reading this then you've probably got concerns about dehydration and how it affects your sport performance.
The results of dehydration can vary from: mild tiredness, a reduction in coordination, and general mental and physical fatigue.
To more severe consequences in particular: impaired thermoregulation, heat stress, impaired muscular and cognitive function and muscle cramps.
It is extremely rare to experience consequences that are more severe than these during competition, however in extreme cases dehydration may well be fatal.
Dehydration arises when we sweat during exercise, and do not drink the same volume of fluid to replace those sweat losses.
By no means do you need to replace 100% of the sweat you lose, but as dehydration progresses the side effects worsen and eventually your performance will suffer.
There are a wide variety of hydration aides available these days.
Each one offers benefits over the next but they are ALL based on a set of very simple rules.
The most important of which is fluid: this is the whole point of the drink! Second is sodium: because you lose sodium in your sweat it needs to be replaced in the fluid you drink or the food you eat afterwards.
Not doing so will hurt your ability to hold on to fluid.
Third are carbohydrates: depending on the type of exercise you are interested in, you may choose a drink that can supply this energy.
Carbohydrates have been PROVEN to help performance by sparing your body's on-board fuel stores.
Carbohydrate benefits sprint and endurance performance, and recently it has been implicated in improved mental function during exercise.
Fourth (yet still very important) is flavour: most people overlook flavour but without it there is no chance of getting the fluid into your body! All drink manufacturers tweak these 4 ingredients and wrap them up in fancy packaging.
Despite what anyone else says there is nothing more the you need to consider when thinking of how to rehydrate during exercise.
My number one goal with this blog will be teach you how to hydrate properly.
I additionally wish to help you to discover how and why dehydration is regarded as a concern during competition.
In many cases the risk of dehydration can be quite small, and you simply don't need to be concerned.
In other cases dehydration can negatively affect your performance, but with the proper knowledge these negative side-effects can be avoided.
The results of dehydration can vary from: mild tiredness, a reduction in coordination, and general mental and physical fatigue.
To more severe consequences in particular: impaired thermoregulation, heat stress, impaired muscular and cognitive function and muscle cramps.
It is extremely rare to experience consequences that are more severe than these during competition, however in extreme cases dehydration may well be fatal.
Dehydration arises when we sweat during exercise, and do not drink the same volume of fluid to replace those sweat losses.
By no means do you need to replace 100% of the sweat you lose, but as dehydration progresses the side effects worsen and eventually your performance will suffer.
There are a wide variety of hydration aides available these days.
Each one offers benefits over the next but they are ALL based on a set of very simple rules.
The most important of which is fluid: this is the whole point of the drink! Second is sodium: because you lose sodium in your sweat it needs to be replaced in the fluid you drink or the food you eat afterwards.
Not doing so will hurt your ability to hold on to fluid.
Third are carbohydrates: depending on the type of exercise you are interested in, you may choose a drink that can supply this energy.
Carbohydrates have been PROVEN to help performance by sparing your body's on-board fuel stores.
Carbohydrate benefits sprint and endurance performance, and recently it has been implicated in improved mental function during exercise.
Fourth (yet still very important) is flavour: most people overlook flavour but without it there is no chance of getting the fluid into your body! All drink manufacturers tweak these 4 ingredients and wrap them up in fancy packaging.
Despite what anyone else says there is nothing more the you need to consider when thinking of how to rehydrate during exercise.
My number one goal with this blog will be teach you how to hydrate properly.
I additionally wish to help you to discover how and why dehydration is regarded as a concern during competition.
In many cases the risk of dehydration can be quite small, and you simply don't need to be concerned.
In other cases dehydration can negatively affect your performance, but with the proper knowledge these negative side-effects can be avoided.
SHARE
