Active Lifestyle

A secret weapon on the pitch, track and field.

Whether you’re an Olympic athlete or simply going for a run round the local park, it’s essential to understand the importance of hydration. The ‘hydration strategy’ is the number one concern with sports performance professionals and something nutritionists spend huge amounts of time developing for them. Premiership footballers can lose as much as 3kg during a 90-minute match. That’s almost half a stone and 3% of their body weight; in fluid terms, it’s around three litres. And that’s despite drinking during the game and following a hydration strategy to try and slow this process down as much as possible.

Anyone engaging in sport or activity at any level can benefit from understanding the basic principles of hydration.

There are many ‘sports drinks’ available on the market and there is a time and a place for these. However, the first ‘sports drink’ of choice has to be water. Without it, you will not perform.

If you simply engage in physical activity for recreation and health reasons, the same rules apply when it comes to staying hydrated. The body is constantly working towards a state of dehydration, and physical activity rapidly speeds this process up as you perspire. That fluid has to be replaced and the best thing to replace it with is water.

If you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated and the following things can occur:

  • 10% to 20% loss in muscle ability and therefore performance.
  • A reduction in the body’s ability to process waste products.
  • Reduction in the body’s ability to ‘cool’ itself.
  • Loss of concentration.
  • Your body needs water to help use up stores of energy-rich glycogen and fat that are stored in your body. If you’re dehydrated, you’re not going to be burning your energy stores as efficiently as you could be.
  • Unnecessary increase in heart rate as your heart has to work harder to get more oxygen to the muscles.

If you want to get the best result out of whatever physical activity you’re doing, burn as much fat as possible, and to avoid unnecessary breakdowns, ensure you are properly hydrated.

Here are some practical tips:

  • If you know you’re going to be doing some physical activity, try and drink around one litre of water during the hour before you start your activity.
  • Drink around one litre of water for every hour of activity.
  • If you’re thirsty, you are already dehydrated – drink water immediately.
  • Continue to drink after you’ve finished your activity. Again, around one litre over an hour is a good rule of thumb.
  • Remember, any water you drink just before, during and just after exercise is not part of your daily two litres.