Fluids And Hydration Essay, Research Paper

How important are fluids?

Fluid replacement is probably the most important nutritional

concern for athletes. Approximately 60% of your body weight is

water. As you exercise, fluid is lost through your skin as sweat and

through your lungs when you breathe. If this fluid is not replaced

at regular intervals during exercise, you can become dehydrated.

When you are dehydrated, you have a smaller volume of blood

circulating through your body. Consequently, the amount of blood

your heart pumps with each beat decreases and your exercising

muscles do not receive enough oxygen from your blood. Soon

exhaustion sets in and your athletic performance suffers.

If you have lost as little as 2% of your body weight due to

dehydration, it can adversely affect your athletic performance. For

example, if you are a 150-pound athlete and you lose 3 pounds

during a workout, your performance will start to suffer unless you

replace the fluid you have lost. Proper fluid replacement is the key

to preventing dehydration and reducing the risk of heat injury

during training and competition.

How can I prevent dehydration?

The best way to prevent dehydration is to maintain body fluid

levels by drinking plenty of fluids before, during, and after a

workout or race. Often athletes are not aware that they are losing

body fluid or that their performance is being impacted by

dehydration.

If you are not sure how much fluid to drink, you can monitor your

hydration using one of these methods.

1.Weight: Weigh yourself before practice and again after practice.

For every pound you lose during the workout you will need to

drink 2 cups of fluid to rehydrate your body.

2.Urine color: Check the color of your urine. If it is a dark gold color

like apple juice, you are dehydrated. If you are well hydrated, the

color of your urine will look like pale lemonade.

Thirst is not an accurate indicator of how much fluid you have lost.

If you wait until you are thirsty to replenish body fluids, then you

are already dehydrated. Most people do not become thirsty until

they have lost more than 2% of their body weight. And if you only

drink enough to quench your thirst, you may still be dehydrated.

Keep a water bottle available when working out and drink as often

as you want, ideally every 15 to 30 minutes. High school and junior

high school athletes can bring a water bottle to school and drink

between classes and during breaks so they show up at workouts

hydrated.

What about sport drinks?

Researchers have found that sports drinks containing between 6%

and 8% carbohydrate (sugars) are absorbed into the body as

rapidly as water and can provide energy to working muscles that

water cannot. This extra energy can delay fatigue and possibly

improve performance, particularly if the sport lasts longer than 1

hour. If you drink a sports drink, you can maintain your blood

sugar level even when the sugar stored in your muscles (glycogen)

is running low. This allows your body to continue to produce

energy at a high rate.

Drinks containing less than 5% carbohydrate do not provide

enough energy to improve your performance. So, athletes who

dilute sports drink are most likely not getting enough energy from

their drink to maintain a good blood sugar level. Drinking

beverages that exceed a 10% carbohydrate level (most soda pop

and some fruit juices) often have negative side effects such as

abdominal cramps, nausea, and diarrhea and can hurt your

performance.

What does the sodium in sports drinks do?

Sodium is an electrolyte needed to help maintain proper fluid

balance in your body. Sodium helps your body absorb and retain

more water. Researchers have found that the fluid from an 8-ounce

serving of a sports drink with 6% carbohydrates (sugars) and

about 110 mg of sodium absorbs into your body faster than plain

water.

Some parents, coaches, and athletes are concerned that sports

drinks may contain too much sodium. However, most sports drinks

are actually low in sodium. An 8-ounce serving of Gatorade has a

sodium content similar to a cup of 2% milk. Most Americans do get

too much sodium, but usually from eating convenience-type foods,

not from sports drinks.

What are guidelines for fluid replacement?

?Drink a sports drink containing 6% to 8% carbohydrate to help

give you more energy during intense training and long workouts.

To figure out the percentage of carbohydrate in your drink use the

following formula:

grams of carbohydrate/serving

X 100 = % of carbohydrate in

drink

mL of drink/serving

For example, 240 mL (a 1 cup serving) of a drink with 24 grams of

carbohydrate per serving would have a 10% carbohydrate

concentration. Almost all drinks have the grams of carbohydrate

per serving and the volume in mL somewhere on the container.

?Drink a beverage that contains a small amount of sodium and

other electrolytes (like potassium and chloride).

?Find a beverage that tastes good; something cold and sweet is

easier to drink.

?Drink 10 to 16 ounces of cold fluid about 15 to 30 minutes before

workouts. Drinking a sports drink with a 6% to 8% carbohydrate

level is useful to help build up energy stores in your muscles,

particularly if the workout will last longer than 1 hour.

?Drink 4 to 8 ounces of cold fluid during exercise at 10 to 15 minute

intervals.

?Start drinking early in your workout because you will not feel

thirsty until you have already lost 2% of your body weight; by that

time your performance may have begun to decline.

?Avoid carbonated drinks, which can cause gastrointestinal

distress and may decrease the the fluid volume.

?Avoid beverages containing caffeine and alcohol due to their

diuretic effect.

?Practice drinking fluids while you train. If you have never used a

sports drink don’t start during a meet or on race day. Use a

trial-and-error approach until you find the drink that works for you.

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