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Hydrating Help |
Keeping hydrated is challenging for a busy triathlete trying to maintain a rigorous training schedule. If not properly hydrated before, during and after a workout an athlete is putting him/herself at a greater risk for injury and impaired recovery. Despite knowing the importance of hydration an athlete can often neglect it due to poor planning and getting side-tracked with the intensity of training or racing. The following are tips to help maintain an optimal hydration status. 1. Choose fluids that you enjoy and promote you to drink. Most sport drinks are formulated to taste good during exercise and encourage adequate fluid intake. Add lemon or lime juice to your water. 2. Include foods that are high in moisture content to your diet. Examples of such foods include 'juicy' fruits, canned fruit, soups, puddings, Jell-O, and sherbet. 3. Limit caffeine and alcohol. Both substances are diuretics and will enhance dehydration. Save the post workout beer or Starbucks until you have properly rehydrated and refueled. 4. Use a transparent water bottle to help better gage how much has been consumed during your workout. 5. Don't rely on your thirst mechanism to keep your hydration in check. Only 1/3 to 2/3 of water loss will be replaced by thirst mechanism alone. If necessary, set your watch to beep during a race at certain intervals to help remind you to drink. 6. Monitor the color and quantity of your urine. Small amounts of dark colored urine are signs of dehydration. 7. Monitor your body weight. Weighing yourself before and after (with sweaty cloths removed) helps to determine your sweat rate and the amount of post-exercise fluid required to rehydrate (assuming that you started in a well hydrated state). Every pound of weight lost should be replaced it with 750 ml of rehydrating fluid. 8. Develop your own personal hydration plan so that you know approximately how much fluid you require per hour of each discipline. Take into account for climate conditions (humidity and temperature). Your hydration plan should be specific to your tolerance and sweat rate. Below are guidelines for fluid replacement for athletes. These guidelines promote adequate hydration and time for excretion of excess fluid. They are a good place to start when developing your own personal hydration plan. Hydration Guidelines Before Exercise 500 - 600 mL of water or sports drink 2 - 3 hours before exercise 200 - 300 mL of water or sports drink 10 - 20 minutes before exercise During Exercise 200 - 300 mL of water or sports drink every 10 - 20 minutes during exercise After Exercise 600 - 750 mL of water or sports drink for every pound of body weight lost after exercise Any questions or comments are welcome and can be forwarded to kimyoung.RD@gmail.com. |