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Hydration for Enhanced Performance
 A
recent study looked at how drinking
cold water affects hermoregulation and
performance in
three areas:
-
Endurance (bicycle
time to exhaustion),
-
Strength [a
60 percent of one-repetition maximum (1RM) bench press to exhaustion], and
-
Power (a
single broad jump).
Key to Better Hydration
Colder water (39°
F) is
better for both performance gains and for keeping you and your clients going
longer in hot conditions. And this applies to both before and during the
exercise session, particularly for longer workouts.
An article published in Nutrition
Reviews, Eric
Goulet (2012) asserts that hydration strategies are more important when
endurance exercise exceeds one hour. Athletes should stay hydrated to avoid
body-weight losses greater than 3 percent of starting weight, and should drink
approximately 5-10 mL/kg of body weight.Previous
studies have demonstrated that it only takes a 3 percent reduction in body
weight for performance to be significantly decreased.
Daily water intake:
To maintain normal, adequate hydration, a simple calculation of bodyweight,
multiplied by 0.55 will equal the amount of water a women should drink in ounces
on a daily basic. For example, a women who weighed 110 lbs, should drink 60.50
oz. (110 x .55) of water every day. If you are indulging in strenuous activities
which involve more sweating, such as long-distance running or exercising in
extreme heat,
the water amount should be increased by multiplying the bodyweight by 0.66.
Type of Fluid
 The type of fluid one uses to hydrate should be based, at least in part, on the
duration of the event.
The American Council on Exercise advises pre-loading with an electrolyte
solution two hours before an endurance event or long-duration workout, and then
switching to water immediately before starting. Be careful not to hydrate to the
point of getting stomach cramps,
which is often a spasm of the thoracic tendons. If the event or workout lasts
less than an hour, water is all that is needed. If the event is 60 to 90 minutes
in duration, then some electrolyte replacement is advised. If the event goes
into the 90- to 120-minute range, electrolytes and carbohydrates should
be replenished. And, if the event or workout exceeds two hours, you probably
need to consider utilizing all the previously mentioned items, plus some amino
acids,
particularly branched-chain amino acids, especially if glycogen depletion is
likely (Antonio and Stout, 2008).
Remember, to keep your cool during hot and heavy workouts, keep drinking cold
fluids about every 15 to 20 minutes.
Ref:
Dated 21 March 2013
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