You’ve been told over and over again that you should drink eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day, but is water consumption really one size fits all? The eight cups a day rule is really just a general guideline, which stems from old research indicating that you should drink one milliliter of water for each calorie consumed. On a 2,000-calorie diet, that amounts to about 64 ounces of water. But what if you’re an athelete consuming 3,000 calories per day, or someone less active nearing closer to 1,200? To calculate your fluid needs more precisely, you must take into account your body size, activity level, and even the air temperature. For example, you may need more fluids when the temperature is very high or very low or when performing strenuous activity. Men may need more water than women because they typically have more muscle mass.
About 55-75 percent of your body weight is made up of water, and losing only 1-2 percent of your body’s water can affect your athletic performance. Losing 10 percent or more can land you in the hospital with heatstroke, or worse. It’s easy to see that maintaining fluid balance is essential, especially among athletes.
Keeping your body well hydrated is essential among athletes because of the role water plays in the regulation of body temperature. Heat evaporates from your body in the form of sweat. One hour of exercise could cause you to lose more than a quart of water in the form of perspiration, depending on how intense the exercise is and the air temperature. When you are not sufficiently hydrated, your body cannot cool itself properly, and you begin to experience the effects of dehydration. This can happen even more quickly on a humid day, because the moisture in the air doesn’t allow your sweat to evaporate as quickly. The symptoms of dehydration are progressive. They begin with thirst, which is why it is often said that by the time you’re thirsty, it’s too late: you are already dehydrated. The next symptom is fatigue, possibly accompanied by cramps, then loss of coordination, weakness and delirium (heat exhaustion and/or heatstroke).
The best way to prevent dehydration is to follow some simple fluid guidelines. For athletes, the eight-cups-a-day rule is a good place to start. Then add 1-3 cups, depending on your activity level. To be sure you are keeping your body’s water in balance, monitor the color of your urine. When you are well hydrated, it should be light to clear unless you are taking supplements, which will darken the color for several hours after consumption.
But you also need to know exactly what to drink and when. For most people, water is a great fluid replenisher. Sometimes, however, you may need to switch to sports drinks to replace electrolytes lost after high-intensity exercise that exceeds 45 to 90 minutes.
And let’s face it, drinking water all of the time can get pretty boring. Keep in mind that not all fluid has to come from pure water. Some other choices you might consider to up your fluid intake include fruits, juices, soups and vegetables. One-half cup of lettuce, for example, is 95 percent water by weight. Broccoli is 91 percent water, and a baked potato is 71 percent water.
If you’d rather quench your thirst with a different liquid, reach for decaffeinated drinks—caffeine acts as a diuretic, causing your body to lose water. If calories aren’t a concern, 100 percent fruit juice is a good substitute (diluted for less calories, if you prefer). Otherwise, give unsweetened flavored waters or sports drinks a try. Alcoholic beverages also have a diuretic effect, so if you’re enjoying a glass of wine or beer with dinner, make sure to accompany them with water to maintain your hydration status. You’ll thank yourself in the morning!
Even though you want to be well hydrated, it’s also possible to drink too much of a good thing. Athletes who participate in long endurance events, such as marathons and triathlons, are occasionally at risk for drinking too much water, which can result in diluted or low blood sodium levels. This condition, called hyponatremia, is very rare but serious.
When an athlete competes for a long period of time, he loses a great deal of salt in his sweat. Combine that with drinking water all along the course, and the result is too much water and not enough sodium in the body. Even more frightening is that the symptoms are very similar to those of dehydration: nausea, fatigue, vomiting, weakness, sleepiness, and death, in severe cases.
The best way to avoid hyponatremia but stay well hydrated is to follow some simple steps. Start off by not restricting your salt intake a few days before an endurance event, unless instructed to by your doctor. Also, try to drink sports drinks with sodium when you are competing for more than an hour, especially if the weather is hot and humid. Finally, some research has shown that using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Advil, Motrin, and ibuprofen before a race could predispose you to hyponatremia, so take extra caution if you’re taking these at the start line. Acetaminophen, however, is safe to take on the day of an event.
It may be difficult to train yourself to drink sufficient water at first, but once you make it a habit, it gets much easier. To make the transition go more smoothly, carry a bottle of water with you everywhere you go so that fluid is always close at hand. Yes, you’ll likely have to take more trips to the bathroom throughout the day, but eventually, your bladder will adjust. Most importantly, you could greatly improve your athletic performance and prevent the deadly consequences of dehydration. That’s worth a few more trips down the hall, don’t you think?
About 55-75 percent of your body weight is made up of water, and losing only 1-2 percent of your body’s water can affect your athletic performance. Losing 10 percent or more can land you in the hospital with heatstroke, or worse. It’s easy to see that maintaining fluid balance is essential, especially among athletes.
Keeping your body well hydrated is essential among athletes because of the role water plays in the regulation of body temperature. Heat evaporates from your body in the form of sweat. One hour of exercise could cause you to lose more than a quart of water in the form of perspiration, depending on how intense the exercise is and the air temperature. When you are not sufficiently hydrated, your body cannot cool itself properly, and you begin to experience the effects of dehydration. This can happen even more quickly on a humid day, because the moisture in the air doesn’t allow your sweat to evaporate as quickly. The symptoms of dehydration are progressive. They begin with thirst, which is why it is often said that by the time you’re thirsty, it’s too late: you are already dehydrated. The next symptom is fatigue, possibly accompanied by cramps, then loss of coordination, weakness and delirium (heat exhaustion and/or heatstroke).
The best way to prevent dehydration is to follow some simple fluid guidelines. For athletes, the eight-cups-a-day rule is a good place to start. Then add 1-3 cups, depending on your activity level. To be sure you are keeping your body’s water in balance, monitor the color of your urine. When you are well hydrated, it should be light to clear unless you are taking supplements, which will darken the color for several hours after consumption.
But you also need to know exactly what to drink and when. For most people, water is a great fluid replenisher. Sometimes, however, you may need to switch to sports drinks to replace electrolytes lost after high-intensity exercise that exceeds 45 to 90 minutes.
And let’s face it, drinking water all of the time can get pretty boring. Keep in mind that not all fluid has to come from pure water. Some other choices you might consider to up your fluid intake include fruits, juices, soups and vegetables. One-half cup of lettuce, for example, is 95 percent water by weight. Broccoli is 91 percent water, and a baked potato is 71 percent water.
If you’d rather quench your thirst with a different liquid, reach for decaffeinated drinks—caffeine acts as a diuretic, causing your body to lose water. If calories aren’t a concern, 100 percent fruit juice is a good substitute (diluted for less calories, if you prefer). Otherwise, give unsweetened flavored waters or sports drinks a try. Alcoholic beverages also have a diuretic effect, so if you’re enjoying a glass of wine or beer with dinner, make sure to accompany them with water to maintain your hydration status. You’ll thank yourself in the morning!
Even though you want to be well hydrated, it’s also possible to drink too much of a good thing. Athletes who participate in long endurance events, such as marathons and triathlons, are occasionally at risk for drinking too much water, which can result in diluted or low blood sodium levels. This condition, called hyponatremia, is very rare but serious.
When an athlete competes for a long period of time, he loses a great deal of salt in his sweat. Combine that with drinking water all along the course, and the result is too much water and not enough sodium in the body. Even more frightening is that the symptoms are very similar to those of dehydration: nausea, fatigue, vomiting, weakness, sleepiness, and death, in severe cases.
The best way to avoid hyponatremia but stay well hydrated is to follow some simple steps. Start off by not restricting your salt intake a few days before an endurance event, unless instructed to by your doctor. Also, try to drink sports drinks with sodium when you are competing for more than an hour, especially if the weather is hot and humid. Finally, some research has shown that using nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, such as Advil, Motrin, and ibuprofen before a race could predispose you to hyponatremia, so take extra caution if you’re taking these at the start line. Acetaminophen, however, is safe to take on the day of an event.
It may be difficult to train yourself to drink sufficient water at first, but once you make it a habit, it gets much easier. To make the transition go more smoothly, carry a bottle of water with you everywhere you go so that fluid is always close at hand. Yes, you’ll likely have to take more trips to the bathroom throughout the day, but eventually, your bladder will adjust. Most importantly, you could greatly improve your athletic performance and prevent the deadly consequences of dehydration. That’s worth a few more trips down the hall, don’t you think?
