Effect of dehydration on sports performance
What is the effect of dehydration on sports performance?
Water, essential for life
Hydration is a crucial factor in performance and injury prevention for athletes. The human body is made up of 60 to 70% water, with this rate varying based on factors such as age, weight, sex, and muscular mass. Water is not only essential for survival, but also helps eliminate waste, build the body, and transport nutrients.
Zoom in on daily water inflows and losses
Daily water intake averages 2.6 L, including urine (1.5 L), stool (100 ml/day), perspiration (300 ml/day), pulmonary expiration (500 ml/day), and sweating (0.5L to 10L for professional athletes). These losses vary depending on the type of physical activity and the environment, and thus, it is crucial to hydrate regularly throughout the day and especially when doing regular physical activity.
First reflex: arrive well hydrated at training and competition
To prevent the effects of dehydration on sports performance, it is essential to arrive well hydrated at training or competition. Although it is not possible to make up for 100% of water losses during physical exercise, following a daily water plan and checking the color of urine on an empty stomach in the morning can be effective in maintaining hydration. A minimum water plan may include drinking 1-2 glasses of water upon waking up, having a hot drink such as coffee, tea, herbal tea, or infusion for breakfast, drinking ½ liter of water in the morning, and at least 3-4 glasses of water at noon, ½ liter of water in the afternoon, and 3-4 glasses of water for dinner.
Trying to catch up on dehydration at the last moment does not work
Trying to catch up on dehydration at the last moment is not effective. Drinking 1L of water a few minutes before a training session is not only ineffective but can also lead to gastric heaviness. Arriving dehydrated at a competition impacts performance and increases the risk of injuries.
How to hydrate during training (1h-1h30)?
To hydrate during training (1h-1h30), drink 150-200 ml of water every 20 minutes. Avoid waiting until you're thirsty to drink since thirst is a late signal of dehydration during exercise. Drinking before you're thirsty can also help you avoid a drop in sports performance, which can vary between 40-60% when water loss is 4% or more, depending on the surrounding temperature.
The cell rehydration process is long, very long
Generally, tap water is sufficient for short physical activities (1h to 1h30) in a temperature no higher than 68F. However, for some athletes, the lack of palatability of this drink may discourage sufficient intake, making it interesting to add a flavor to facilitate ingestion. Nonetheless, adding too many carbohydrates to drinks can slow down not only your hydration but also their effectiveness.
Use clothing adapted to your sport!
Athletes should also consider wearing clothing adapted to their sport to facilitate perspiration and maintain body temperature. Cotton, for example, prevents perspiration from evaporating and can impede the body's cooling down.
Effect of dehydration on sports performance. And after training?
After a workout session, rehydration is just as important as pre-exercise hydration. Even slight dehydration can hinder muscle recovery since muscles are made up of around 73% water. It is recommended to drink 1 to 1.5 L of water after a workout session, fractionally. Moreover, it is advised to vary the water sources for optimal hydration. For instance, Perrier is an excellent water choice as it contains bicarbonates, sodium, and magnesium, and is refreshing.
Dehydration not only affects performance but also poses risks to an athlete's health. It can cause cognitive impairment, dizziness, muscle, and tendon disorders (breakdowns, elongations, contractures), digestive disorders, cardiac disorders, and heat stroke during exercise.
Dehydration causes immediate damage to our mental capacities
Dehydration can cause shrinkage of brain tissue and a corresponding increase in ventricular volume, according to a study by Harvard Medical School. Like the leaves of waterless plants, brain cells appear to dry out and contract. The water in the brain, up to 85%, allows it to function well. Several studies have shown that even moderate dehydration decreases alertness, and increases the feeling of fatigue and the level of anxiety. Concentration and short-term memory can also be impaired. A clinical relationship therefore undoubtedly exists between dehydration and cognitive mechanisms.
New research shows that dehydration after physical exercise disrupts cognitive skills and changes the activity of different brain regions. And drinking restores these parameters.
Maybe it’s because your brain just lacks water. Dehydration, even slight, sometimes affects cognitive functions.
Visit: https://www.MaximumComposure.com
Do you suffer from problems with concentration, mood, memory, or coordination?
Maybe it’s because your brain just lacks water. Dehydration, even slight, sometimes affects cognitive functions.
Matthew Wittbrodt and his colleagues at the Georgia Institute of Technology in Atlanta conducted a study that investigated the effects of dehydration on cognitive skills. They recruited 13 healthy volunteers, average age of 24, and exercised them on a treadmill for 2.5 hours. Alternating 45 minutes of a walk and then a 15-minute break.
It is therefore a sufficiently intense physical activity to heat the organism. It makes the participants sweat, with an average loss of body mass of 3%. In the first session, the volunteers drank as much water as they lost, and in the second session, they did not hydrate. Then they were offered to perform a simple and repetitive visuospatial task, such as pressing a button with the right index finger as soon as they see certain shapes appear on a screen. At the same time, the structure and activity of their brains were measured by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).
As a result, when volunteers exercise by drinking water, their cerebral ventricles contract. Conversely, in those who do not hydrate, the ventricles swell, as if to compensate for the lack of water in the brain, while the surrounding brain structures shrink. This is the case of the thalamus, a cerebral hub integrating many sensory data, and the cerebellum. It is involved in particular in coordination and movements. In addition, after exercise, dehydrated participants saw their performance in the visuomotor task drop by 16%, compared to only 8% for volunteers who drank.
To learn more visit: https://mentalaccelerator.com/resource/purpose-vision/athletes-prioritize-your-resources