Health & Fitness
Fluids, Electrolytes and Exercise, Oh My…
Hydration can be tricky especially if you are active. Learn some quick tips with Sports Dietitian Melissa Gerharter.
Fluids, electrolytes and exercise, oh my…
We have had a few really hot days already in June and I found myself emphasizing hydration with my clients. My advice wasn’t just to drink water; for some, hydrating with an electrolyte solution is important, too.
Most of our fluids and electrolytes are spontaneously consumed with our meals throughout the day and are taken in without a direct response to being thirsty. But, is that enough for most athletes? Maybe. While there are many guidelines for water intake, one of the ones I use as a reference for athletes is 3.7 liters per day for males and 2.7 liters per day for females. This clearly has to be tweaked depending on the individual's activity, environment and sweat rate.
Three electrolytes that are of importance with athletes are sodium chloride, potassium and calcium. Large losses of sodium chloride in sweat can lead to increased heat-related problems, hyponatremia and muscle cramps. Potassium loss in sweat is far less than sodium. The loss of calcium in the sweat will increase the dietary need of calcium in active people.
The easiest way to determine if you are well hydrated is the color of your urine. If it looks like the color of lemonade, you are more than likely well hydrated. If it looks like your Bell’s Oberon beer, perhaps you should take a few more steps to get your body back into a hydrated state.
Some tips to stay hydrated and allowing you to put your best effort in for your event are to have 1 ounce of liquid per 10 pounds of bodyweight two hours before your event, and during your event, have a few sips of liquid every 10-30 minutes to help maintain hydration. After exercise, drinking 24 ounces per pound of bodyweight lost during exercise will help rehydrate your body. Consuming sodium chloride will help speed rehydration.
A hydrated athlete is a better athlete. Below are some tips to encourage drinking:
• Take fluids with you
• Know where to find fluids
• Drink early and often, but don’t over drink
• Practice drinking during training
• Pour more into your stomach than on your head
• Have a variety of beverages to choose from
• Drink by schedule not by thirst
Bottoms up!