Having sufficient hydration allows us to maximize performance, improve recovery, and minimize injury risk and muscle cramping. This makes us better during training and better during competition. It's important to be properly hydrated before exercise, maintain hydration during exercise, and recover hydration after exercise. If we want to perform our best, we need to optimize our hydration so our body can have the best opportunity to succeed.
How do you monitor your hydration?
Each person is individual, and just like anything, what works for some doesn't work for others. We can give general guides for hydration, but you also need to be aware of it for yourself so you can dial in what works best for you.
Here’s a few basic points to consider:
You should consume a half ounce of water for every pound of weight you have. If you weight 200 pounds, you should consume 100 ounces of water everyday.
Water consumption should be equally spaced throughout your waking hours. Don’t drink all your water in the morning and then no water the rest of the day.
Monitor your urine color everyday. Your urine should be pale yellow. If it’s dark, you aren’t hydrating enough. If it’s clear, you are hydrated well and don’t need to increase your current intake. You can have too much water, so don't drink excessively.
You can check your weight before and after a workout to see how much water weight you lost. You can then use that weight change to determine how much water you need to replenish.
Food can be a great source of water. Foods that are juicy have high water content. Fruits and vegetables give your body water along with vitamins and minerals.
Different times of the year need different water intake. In the summer, when it's hot and you need to cool down more, you will require more water. This is why we eat more fruit in the summer. Nature is providing extra water in the food that is in season.
Prepare yourself for your workout by drinking water 2-3 hours before your workout
Drink small amounts of water every 15 minutes while working out
Drink extra water within 2 hours after you workout
If working out vigorously for 60 minutes or longer, you should consider supplementing with sodium or salt to maintain electrolyte balance
As an athlete, and all humans are athletes, we need to control what we can in order to perform our best. Having proper hydration is the difference between finishing a workout or quitting, completing a lift or dropping it, or reaching a goal or failing. If you aren’t hydrated well, you won’t perform well.
It’s a simple thing to fix. Be more aware of your hydration, keep track of the water you drink and the water you should drink, and start consciously tuning into your hydration and your performance when properly hydrated. #snowbeastperformance