Hydration Station

What Role Does Water Play in Athletic Performance?

By Summer C. McNeill | B.S. Nutrition and Dietetics

Every athlete has heard their coaches say “hydrate, hydrate, hydrate!” especially when it’s hot outside.

But why is hydration so important?

What role does water play in athletic performance? And how much water should you really be drinking?

Let’s start with the basics.

Water plays many important roles in our bodies. It regulates our body temperature, transports essential nutrients to muscles and carries away by-products, eliminates metabolic waste through urine, maintains blood volume, lubricates joints, cushions organs, and improves the body’s ability to recover.

During exercise especially, water is used to cool the body through sweat. As we move into the warmer months of the year, it’s important to be aware of the amount of sweat you are losing so that you can replenish your body with enough fluids to avoid dehydration.

What’s the deal with dehydration?

Dehydration impairs your ability to train at your best and can lead to a lack of improvement in your performance. Being in a state of dehydration increases your body temperature and heart rate, decreases your blood pressure, makes you feel tired and fatigued faster, leads to muscle cramps and headaches, and can even cause nausea and vomiting. As athletes, you put in so much time and work to be your best, don’t let dehydration be the thing that holds you back from your potential.

Those most at risk of dehydration are endurance athletes and athletes who train hard (over an hour) every day. Athletes who train moderately (30-60 minutes) three or four times a week should be able to easily maintain their fluid balance through a healthy diet.

You never want to begin a workout in a dehydrated state. If you notice that you are dehydrated, drink some fluids and give your body some time to soak it up before you begin your exercise.

How do I know if I am hydrated?

The easiest way to track your hydration is by monitoring your urine color and output. Ideally, your pee should be the color of lemonade or light beer. Completely transparent urine may be a sign that you are over-hydrating; and, although rare, over hydrating can dilute your blood sodium and lead to a condition called hyponatremia. Hyponatremia is rare, but, as athletes it is something that you should be aware of.

When urine is an amber or copper color, that is a sign to start drinking more water because you are on your way to dehydration. If your urine is ever brown or a burnt orange color, you are severely dehydrated and need to start drinking fluids and electrolytes immediately.

A simple Google search of “urine color chart” can give you a great visualization of what you should be looking for.

Another way to track your hydration is to weigh yourself before and after exercise (without clothes) and consume 16-20 ounces of fluid for every pound lost during exercise.

How should I hydrate?

When people hear the word “hydration” they usually think of water. Water should be your number one source of hydration, but it doesn’t have to be your only source. During training that lasts over an hour you should be consuming some type of sports drink to replenish the nutrients and electrolytes that you are using up. Sports drinks should contain carbohydrates and sodium. Outside of training, you can hydrate with a variety of fluids that fit into your normal diet. Fluids such as juice, milk, lemonade, and even coffee or tea all contain water.

I advise against consuming sugar-free sports drinks during exercise because your muscles need an intake of glucose (sugar) to keep working at their best and prevent you from feeling fatigued.

In addition to fluids, you can also hydrate through foods that should be included in your daily diet. Fruits, vegetables, yogurt, rice, and pasta are a few great sources of hydrating foods.

Training in the off-season is the perfect time to play around and experiment with new hydration techniques and products. The best thing you can do for your performance is know your body and what it needs.

Hydration recommendations from the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics (AND) are as follows:

Before exercise: 2 to 3 hours before: 16 ounces 15 minutes before: 8 ounces

During exercise: 4 ounces of fluid every 15-20 minutes

After exercise: 16-20 ounces of fluid for every pound lost during exercise

Drinking half of your body weight in ounces is a great base line for hydration. A person who weighs 150 pounds will need 150 ounces X 50% = 75 ounces of fluid per day at a minimum.

From there, monitor the color and output of your urine to ensure you remain in a hydrated state.

Hot Takes

Remember that fluid needs vary from person to person. All of the information provided in this article is general advice for healthy people. If you wish to explore hydration on a more personal level, please consult with a sports dietitian for an individualized hydration plan.

Resources can be found at: https:// www.eatright.org/find-a-nutrition-expert?rdType=url_edit&rdProj=fane_update&rdInfo=fae