SideLines
Hydration: Critical to Athletic Performance
January, 2002
DavidR. Lamb, PhD
The Ohio StateUniversity
Dr. Lamb is aprofessor emeritus of exercise physiology. His research has focused on the effects of dietary carbohydrate andpatterns of beverage consumption on athletic performance.
High school athletes train hard, they play towin, and they sweat through it all. Inthe intensity of a practice or game, athletes don’t realize the amount of sweatthey lose, and that puts them head to head with a nasty competitor –dehydration. It’s critical to beatdehydration so athletes can play at their best even in the final minutes of thegame.
Hydrationis critical to athletic performance. Infact, fluid losses of as little as 2% of body weight (less than 4 pounds in a200-pound athlete) can impair performance by increasing fatigue. This is important because it’s common forsome athletes to lose between 5-8 pounds of sweat during a game. So it’s easy for athletes to becomedehydrated if they don’t drink enough to replace what is lost in sweat.
Consideringsports drinks versus water for your athletes? Research shows that sports drinks out-perform water because sports drinks:
- Encouragevoluntary drinking when athletes are hot and thirsty. Sports drinks with a light flavor and small amount of sodiumencourage athletes to drink, and drinking fluids is the first-line of defenseagainst dehydration.
- Stimulaterapid fluid absorption. Gatorade has theright mix and amount of carbohydrates and electrolytes to speed fluid andcarbohydrate into the bloodstream.
- Helpkeep athletes in the game. Sports drinks canhelp athletes avoid dehydration and other heat-related problems such as earlyfatigue, heat cramps, lightheadedness and heat exhaustion.
- Aidperformance. Carbohydrate in sports drinks helps athletesperform better in both power and endurance efforts.
- Speedrecovery. The carbohydrates and electrolytes in sportsdrinks help refuel muscles and speed rehydration.
With a game plan to help your athletes drinkthe right fluids at the right times, you’re giving them the strategy for ahigh-powered performance that matches their will to win.
For more information, please visit www.gssiweb.com
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TheNational Athletic Trainers’ Association “Fluid Replacement for Athletes”Position Statement
- Educate athletes on the effects of dehydration on physicalperformance.
- Inform athletes on how to monitor hydration status.
- Encourage coaches to mandate rehydration during practicesand competitions, just as they require other drills and conditioningactivities. Fluid replacement shouldapproximate sweat and urine losses and at least maintain hydration at less than2% body weight reduction.
- During events, when a high rate of fluid intake is necessaryto sustain hydration, the CHO (carbohydrate) composition should be kept low (e.g.,less than 7%) to optimize gastric emptying and fluid absorption.
- A proper hydration protocol considers each sport’s uniquefeatures. If rehydration opportunitiesare frequent (eg, baseball, football, track and field), the athlete can consumesmaller volumes at a convenient pace based on sweat rate and environmentalconditions. If rehydration must occurat specific times (eg, soccer, lacrosse, distance running), the athlete mustconsume fluids to maximize hydration within the sport’s confines and rules.
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