Article Summary:

• Water is the source of life
• Reference indicators for hydration
• How athletes hydrate
• Other considerations for hydration

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Water is the source of life

Although water does not provide any calories,Water and oxygen are equally importantOnly 20% of the water in the human body is lost, and this leads to severe illnessIn adults, they can survive for up to 10 days without drinking water, while children can only survive for 5 days. And water makes up 50%–70% of the human body's massThe water

in the human body

physiologically, has many important functions, includingregulating body temperature, protecting vital organs, providing the driving force for nutrient absorption, serving as a medium for all biochemical reactions, and maintaining the higher blood volume required for optimal athletic performance. Therefore, hydration is crucial for athleteswho exercise.

Reference indicators for hydration

For trainers, if they train for one hour a day, the total water intake for the day should be at least3 litersIn hot summers or in adverse weather conditions, or when training intensity increases or when consuming high protein and high salt, athletes need to supplement more water.

Sports Hydration

Two hours before training, drink 500–600 ml of waterDuring training, drink 200–300 ml every 10–20 minutes, or adjust intake based on sweat loss

After training, drink 450–675 ml for every 0.5 kg of weight lost

Besides water, we should also pay attention to a component that is electrolytes

Electrolytes are minerals that dissolve in water and carry an electrical charge, including salt, acid, and base

Among them, the most common electrolyte is salt (sodium chloride)

So, when hydrating, we shouldn't ignore electrolyte supplementation, as electrolytes are constantly lost from sweat, although short-term it doesn't have a significant impact, but the total amount is still considerable over timeSports sweating leads to electrolyte lossThe main component of lost electrolytes is sodium, if the sodium content in the blood is low, it will cause fatigue, a significant decrease in strength, headaches, nausea, and muscle spasmsHow can we prevent low sodium levels in the blood during exercise?Salt (sodium chloride)

Normally, if exercise lasts no more than 90 minutes

and the athlete is not in a calorie-restricted or dehydrated statedrinking a suitable amount of mineral water is sufficient. Here, mineral water is recommended to be rich in sodium (400–1100 mg/L) without gas.

Strength training

For training that exceeds 90 minutesthe training environment is hot, or the athlete is in a dehydrated state or a training newbie

it is recommended that the sodium content in water should be as close as possible to the upper limit (1100 mg/L), and it can be added to water with fruit juice, mineral water and fruit juice at a ratio of 1:1 or 2:1, this ratio is typically comparable to most glucose-electrolyte drinks

Fruit juiceRegarding endurance athletesto maintain the stability of the body's functions during training, endurance athletes need to supplement carbohydrates in time. The recommended carbohydrate content in water is 2%–8%, if the carbohydrate content in water is sugar, the recommended content is 7% to facilitate penetration into the blood. If it is glucose, the content should be controlled at 4%–5%.

Electrolyte Supplementation

Other considerations for hydrationBesides drinking water, we can also help us hydrate through food intake, such as vegetables and fruits are all good choices, generally vegetables and fruits contain more than 80% water, so they can effectively help athletes supplement water

Fruit and Vegetables

However, when hydrating, we should avoid excessive supplementation of water in a short time

Because excessive water supplementation will dilute the blood

causing 'water intoxication (hyponatremia)' leading to brain disease or brain swelling. In 2002, a female athlete died in the Boston Marathon due to drinking too much water (approximately 3 liters in one hour)

Summary: Proper hydration not only maintains the level of water in our bodies but also makes our bodies healthier and achieves better athletic performance.I am a lazy old school fitness enthusiast, thank you for your attention, if you have any questions, please leave a message below, I will answer them one by one for you.""200213