HYDRATE TO THRIVE!

ALTHOUGH THE SUMMER SO FAR AT AAHQ HAS BEEN LESS THAN STELLAR, WE’RE VERY AWARE THAT THIS IS NOT THE CASE WHERE SOME OF YOU MAY PLAY, AND AS IS OUR WAY AT THIS TIME OF YEAR WE LIKE TO FOCUS IN ON STAYING HYDRATED! TO STAY SWITCHED ON IN-GAME YOU NEED TO KEEP A CLOSE EYE ON HYDRATION AND OVERHEATING, AND HAVING PLAYED EXTENSIVELY IN HOT-WEATHER AOS BILL IS A REAL STICKLER ON THIS ONE!

More extreme temperatures aren’t so great for airsoft unless you’re completely prepared to not only deal with the conditions, but totally thrive in them! As many of you that know me will recall I spent four amazing years living in Florida, and anyone that has visited will know that it, as we Brits say, can get “a little warm” there!

Airsoft, though, was a major part of my life while I was there, and not only did I get along to regular Saturday skirmishes, weekenders, and the occasional “private MilSim” but I also played a fledgling version of “speedsoft” (yes, I actually did, it’s nothing really new!) ”under the lights” on most Wednesday nights down at Ulmerton (those that know, KNOW!).

In Florida I got totally used to playing in a high heat/ high humidity environment, and among the AA Crew I’m not alone in learning lessons about staying tippitytop in the heat, and both Stewbacca and Miguel face such conditions almost every time they play, and it takes knowledge and preparation to deal with a more extreme environment. By the time I visited Crete for “Warzone” in the summer of 2018 staying hydrated was second nature to me as from the time I started playing in the USA a “3L Camelbak” got incorporated into my airsoft kit, and I always made sure to have a big (5L) bottle of water in the car/at the FOB.

Harking back to the “Florida days”, although my OC-16 team-mates and I made sure we stayed “sloshy” we often saw instances of those who didn’t and it wasn’t pretty! I have told this story before, but unashamedly I’ll tell it again; one memory I have is of being at a big weekend game at the MOUT facility at Camp Blanding; this sits in the middle of a mechanised Company manoeuver area, and is sandy, dusty, and dry as a bone; the temperature inside the buildings would often creep well into the high 30’s, and the humidity hovered around 90-95%. Basically you would start sweating heavily as soon as you stood up, and that was without kit!

During the first day of that game I measured my intake/output and I actually took on nearly FOURTEEN litres of water (plus electrolyte/supplement powders) during that 24 hour period! I vividly recall one guy who didn’t hydrate at the game; I didn’t see him fall, but I certainly heard the drumming of his heels on the tarmac as he convulsed…

Whilst this scenario is one I never hope to see again, I have regularly seen players REALLY suffering due to the heat and dehydration; some do the sensible thing and leave early as they realise they aren’t prepared, but others “soldier on” and suffer the consequences. I’ve even seen players that actually have sufficient water do the classic thing of necking an entire bottle when they have chance, and inevitably they throw it all back up, with therefore ZERO impact on hydration levels…

THE “SCIENCEY BIT”… NOT PRETTY!

To recap again, we all know that if we don’t drink enough, then we’re going to have a dog-dry throat and feel thirsty, but what is actually going on, and exactly how do high temperatures impact the body especially during times of high activity? Without wishing to sound gruesome, here we go!

When it’s hot for an extended period of time, the body’s internal temperature may rise, making the heart rate increase and vessels expand to bring more blood to the outer layers of skin, where the heat is then released. If this heat isn’t released fast enough or the surrounding air is warmer than the body, your sweat glands will try to cool you down. So far so peachy but sweating means a loss of fluids which can lead to a drop in blood pressure causing the heart to beat more rapidly, making the heart work harder to maintain a cooler body. Part of the brain called the hypothalamus controls our core body temperature and is also responsible for sending signals to the skin to start sweating. However when it becomes too hot, these signals may not get through properly. In extreme cases where your body temperature goes over 40°C, this allegedly can stop nerve fibres from working properly, which means the messages may not get through to and from the brain. When the body temperature goes higher than normal it can lead to dizziness, feeling weak and tired, poor coordination, and even problems with balance or thinking! body temperature rises above 40°C and the body’s internal systems begin shutting down. This can impact the nervous system and, if left untreated, can harm specific organs too. Dehydration and a drop in blood pressure can also harm the kidneys, something I personally need to be wary of now I’m flying on one after my skirmish with the “Big C”; in hot weather the body’s energy requirements can exceed its ability to produce energy, causing muscle cells to break down and release a protein called myoglobin and other products into the bloodstream, and again the medicos tell us that some of these break-down products (including myoglobin) can be toxic to the kidneys and can directly damage them.

Another telltale is breathing more quickly; extreme hot weather and high activity levels can put more strain on the lungs, especially if you already suffer from conditions such as asthma. The hot weather can also be “dangerous” for the liver, which is another thermosensitive organ. The medicos tell us that serious conditions such as heatstroke can damage liver cells. Heatstroke is when the core

So, although I’m trying not to be alarmist, and I’m certainly no doctor, even the most basic research will show you that becoming overheated and dehydrated can be potentially much more dangerous than you probably think, and I hate to point it out but severe heatstroke can even be life-threatening. Let’s face it, and I don’t mean to be rude, but many of us that play airsoft (myself included right now) are far from our physical peak, and this only exacerbates the issue.

HYDRATE TO THRIVE!

“Hydrate to Thrive” is another of my favourite mantras! If you look at even the most generalised advice for maintaining hydration levels and dealing with hot weather you’ll often find comments like this (I found these on an online travel page);

• Drink plenty of fluids.

• Don’t stay out in the sun for too long, especially during the hottest times of the day (11am3pm).

• Stay in cool, well-ventilated areas where possible.

• Don’t over exert yourself in hot weather – exercising at cooler times of the day is preferable.

Fine, right? Nowhere close is what I’ll say!

If we avoid the hottest part of the day (11am-3pm) then that’s pretty much a skirmish day over. Staying in “well-ventilated” areas is not an option when it comes to MilSim taskings, and “over-exertion” is often a given when we’re hooning about wearing plate carriers and packs!

Knowing that dehydration and overheating can be a (major) problem should at the very least forewarn us that as with all things we need to prepare properly. How much should we be drinking? There are no exact rules for how much water to drink while exercising, because everyone is different. You need to consider factors including your general level of fitness, your sweat rate (this can be measured), the heat and humidity in your environment, and how long and how hard you are pushing yourself. Looking at numerous sources a general consensus though seems to be:

• Drink .5 to 1.0L of water 2 to 3 hours before you start “exercising”.

• Drink .25 to .50L of water every 10 to 20 minutes during “exercise”.

• Drink .25L of water no more than 30 minutes after you “exercise”, and top this up at regular intervals as needed.

Again, I’ll stress I’m not a doctor, and that you need to take notice of your own body, but this seems largely in line with what I drink during a game, but of course in extreme conditions you may need to notch these levels up higher. Buy a bottle with volume markings on it if possible to keep track of your intake (Nalgene and Camelbak both make excellent models).

For most people, water is all that you need to stay hydrated. However, if you’re pushing along at a high intensity for longer a sports drink may be helpful. The calories, potassium, and other nutrients in sports drinks can provide energy and electrolytes to help you perform for extended periods. Choose a sports drink wisely though! They are often high in calories from added sugar and may contain adverse levels of sodium. Some sports drinks contain caffeine; if you consume a drink that contains caffeine, be careful as it may cause a diuretic effect on your body. This means that you may have to take a leak more often, and that you don’t fully benefit from what you’re taking on board.

A good sports drink or supplement to your “onboard” water supply that is easily metabolised will help with hydration, but electrolytes are the key. For optimal hydration choose a drink/supplement that is easily tolerated and digested, but most importantly, one that has a well-balanced electrolyte profile. Electrolytes are tiny particles that carry electrical charges, and they serve many roles to help the body maintain proper function. When you sweat, electrolytes play key roles in keeping water balanced both inside and outside your cells so that your muscles and organs can continue to serve you properly.

Replenishing electrolytes via your drink helps to replenish your mineral losses; electrolytes also help make the most of your water, which is the key to proper hydration. Drinks with the correct balance of sodium, potassium, magnesium, and calcium can help retain fluids, and proper fluid balance contributes to optimal performance. My advice here is to speak to an expert on this, and many high end running, cycling, and outdoor pursuits stores should be able to help you with this.

So, yes, dehydration and overheating can be really dangerous, but with the correct preparation they don’t have to be. Be prepared and look to your own personal admin; don’t be “that guy” that your mates or potentially the site medic have to look after when you crash through lack of preparedness. As the saying goes “Hydrate or Die”, but in my mind it’s a case of “Hydrate to Thrive” to make the very best of your airsoft experience even on the very hottest days!

Please note that some images used to support this article were sourced in the Public Domain. AA