As New England now seems to be trending in the direction of warmer temperatures and classic-ly humid days there is need to revisit HYDRATION! Namely, the importance of being hydrated, how to determine if you are, and helpful tips and tricks to staying hydrated all summer long.
Hydration is critically important to our bodies and performance. Consider the role of water in your body. Water helps lubricate joints, hydrate muscles and fascia, and protect your body organs. It helps remove lactic acid from your working muscles. More importantly, water makes up 90% of your blood when you are fully hydrated. This is critical to know because blood allows for oxygen delivery to working muscles, it helps dissipate heat, and it helps with absorbing calories and fluids when training longer than 90-120+ minutes. If your blood isn’t well hydrated and is running “thick” through your body it will not be able to help you work and train at an optimal level.
1. First and foremost make sure that you’re in a well hydrated state, and yes this requires the pee check. If your urine is a light yellow or light lemonade color you’re good. If it’s darker it’s time to drink.
2. Eat plenty of hydrating fruits like watermelon, organic strawberries & grapes, oranges, cantaloupe and vegetables like zucchini, cabbage, spinach, celery, and carrots.
3. Carry a CPC Hydroflask (not so shameless plug) with an electrolyte blend like NUUN, Skratch, or Ultima to sip on throughout the day. A squeeze of lemon or lime to the water will help provide a little taste encouraging you to drink it more frequently.
4. Limit caffeine and alcohol. Both have a diuretic effect, leading to more trips to the bathroom, and potentially putting you in a state of dehydration. Summertime screams for an ice coffee in the morning and a cold adult beverage at night. When consuming both just be aware of how much and often and to combat the effects with a water of equal size.
5. Go into your workout prepared! Before heading into a workout (2-3 hours prior) consume around 16 oz of water. During your workout fight the dehydration battle with 2-3 big gulps of water every 15-20 minutes. After class the best bet would be to weigh in and weigh out and consume 16-20oz of water for every 1 lb lost. Try filling up your bottle before leaving and drink ALL OF IT before starting your day or grabbing that oh-so refreshing iced coffee.
Take advantage of these simple tips and you’ll not only feel better but you’ll perform better throughout the summer months!
Happy Summer,
SK
Hydration Resources
Dixon, M. (2016). THIRSTY WORK: IRONMAN RACING AND HYDRATION. [Blog] Purple Patch. Available at:
https://purplepatchfitness.com/blog/thirsty-work-i... [Accessed 4 Jun. 2018].
Anon, (2018). [online] Available at:
https://www.bostonmagazine.com/sponsor-content/hyd... [Accessed 4 Jun. 2018].
www.NCAA.org. (2018). Fluid Balance, Hydration, and Athletic Performance. [online] Available at:
https://www.ncaa.org/sites/default/files/Performan... [Accessed 4 Jun. 2018].
Nutrition - Calculating Sweat Rate. (n.d.). IRONMAN University.
