What’s the easiest thing you can do to give yourself a competitive edge?
It’s simple, really….
The answer is to DRINK MORE WATER.
Research suggests athletes who are properly hydrated during competition or hard workouts perform 33% better than their opponents (1).
We all know why water is important; it helps to cool the body and fuel metabolic processes in muscle and tissues. In fact, most athletes are made up of 75% water, non-athletes 60%, and obese/non active individuals 40% (1,2).
When the blood is warming during a hard workout, your muscles let the brain know it’s time to sweat. Thus, your sweat glands get to work in an attempt to release heat and keep you cool. During longer competitions when you’re sweating buckets, it is even more important to create an individualized Hydration Protocol for yourself so you can keep your performance going instead of stopping to quench your thirst (2).
The tricky part is, we all sweat differently. Some of us are saltier sweaters, some of us sweat as much as 2 L per hour, some only ½ L,. Because we are all unique in our sweating patterns, we must individualize our hydration plan to optimize performance and set us apart from competition.
Good news: this is exactly what I help my clients to do!
Okay, I know WHY drinking more water is important, but HOW do I create an individualized hydration protocol for myself?
There are two steps to this process:
- Establish your individual sweat rate.
- Practice before competition.
Discover your unique sweat rate with the following information:
Step One: Weigh yourself before your hard workout (Write it down.
Step Two: If you’re taking a water bottle or a sports drink with you, measure how much you’re bringing.
Step Three: Do your workout.
Step Four: After your workout, wipe down your body with a towel to rid excess salt/fluid on the skin.
Step Five: Weight yourself again, write it down, then download the Hydration Protocol Worksheet to do the math and calculate your sweat rate!
Voila! You have your personalized Hydration Protocol.
Practice makes perfect. Make sure you have practiced your Hydration Protocol many times before competition day. If you practice before competition, you will see where you can make some minor adjustments to further improve your performance.
Should I adjust my hydration protocol during certain conditions?
That answer is YES.
Humidity, altitude, heat, stormy weather, you name it! There are SO many things that impact hydration (1,2).
All of these factors increase water needs:
- High Humidity
- High Altitude
- Hot Weather: Make sure to add more electrolytes
- Cold Weather: Also be sure to wear clothes that absorb sweat adequately:
- Wool is an excellent material to wear because it maintains body heat even when wet.
- Cotton is not a great choice because it absorbs sweat.
- Nylon and synthetic materials are helpful for both maintaining body temperature and fighting wind chill (3).
In Summary….
- Create your individualized Hydration Protocol.
- Practice it BEFORE competition.
- Keep an eye on any external factors that may impact your Hydration Protocol and adjust as needed.
- Add electrolytes if you’re planning to compete or exercise longer than 1 hour.
- Save time by downloading my Hydration Protocol E-Book tool below to get started with your goals today!
For once, you’ll have the energy to sprint to the finish, climb higher, or ride harder than the field with a proper hydration protocol!
References:
- Skolnik H., Chernus A. (2010). Nutrient Timing for Peak Performance. Human Kinetics.
- Karpinski C., Rosenbloom CA. (2017). Sports Nutrition: A Handbook for Professionals. 6th Edition. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data.
- Thompson N. 2017, August 1). Special Considerations for Training in Cold Weather. ACE Fitness. https://www.acefitness.org/fitness-certifications/ace-answers/exam-preparation-blog/3564/special-considerations-for-training-in-cold-weather/