FitNutrition: Sports Nutrition with Katie Jeffrey -- Hydration Tips for Better Athletic Performance

Not only is eating the right types of foods extremely important for your athletic performance, but drinking enough fluids is also essential for optimal performance. Staying hydrated enables your body to provide adequate circulation to both your muscles and body surface.

A mere 1% dehydration level will hinder your athletic performance and health. Signs of dehydration are fatigue, headache, light-headedness, dry mouth and dark-colored urine.

Maintaining proper hydration and electrolyte balance will:

• Optimize your athletic potential
• Result in an adequate energy level
• Lead to the proper functioning of your nerves and muscles
• Allow you to think clearly and quickly
• Enable you to acclimate to warmer or colder weather
• Reduce the likelihood of cramps
• Allow your heart to work efficiently
• Result in an accurately perceived intensity level
• Assist in the maintenance of a cooler body temperature

You can meet your hydration needs by consuming:

• Water
• Milk
• Juice
• Sports drinks
• Tea
• Yogurt
• Oranges
• Melon
• Soup

To help you meet your needs:

• Fill a reusable water bottle and bring it everywhere you go.
• Train yourself to drink water throughout the day.
• To remind yourself to drink, set an alarm on your cell phone.
• Make water easily available so you’ll be more likely to drink consistently during the day.
• Create a hydration plan.

So, raise a glass of water and drink to celebrate your athletic performance and health.

For additional hydration information, visit:

http://www.active.com/nutrition/Articles/Hydration-Tips-for-Better-Athletic-Performance and http://www.active.com/nutrition/Articles/How-to-Hydrate-Before-During-and-After-a-Workout