A Few Words About Hydration
As the summer months are upon us, awareness of overheating and proper hydration is of utmost importance. As we all know, the ambient temperatures can be challenging during these months. In such, both preventive and interventional measures are necessary to assure the safety of all.
Fluids fuel our body’s muscles and organs and a proper level of hydration is one of the most important challenges these games will present. When you are well hydrated you will generally feel well, when you are dehydrated, you won’t. In fact, by the time you get thirsty…you already are dehydrated…
Dehydration transcends a series of symptoms and are classified as:
- Heat Cramping- you are thirsty, feel a cramp in the calf, abdomen, or arm
- Heat Exhaustion- you have a headache, are sweating excessively, can be dizzy, nauseous, and have clammy skin
- Heat Stroke- your skin is hot, dry and you stop sweating. Your pulse is rapid (> 100), and you get confused and may even become unconscious
And the weather need not be overly hot for these to occur...as you workout, body heat builds up and subsequently burns fluids. However, when the ambient temperature is above 80º F and the relative humidity is above 80%…the so called, “80-80” club, a RED FLAG goes up warning everyone of the dangers of exercising in this environment.
So, it is obvious that fluids play a key role in the prevention of the development of Heat Related injuries…and fluids are very important to maintain a safe environment for our body’s tissues.
The general guideline for HYDRATION is to drink fluids:
- Two hours before the activity (8-16 ounces)
- Thirty minutes before the activity (8 ounces)
- Every 15 minutes during the activity (4-8 ounces)
- After the event…16 ounces for every pound of weight lost
***see below for important information about OVERHYDRATION-HYPONATREMIA ***
Equally important to know is: WHAT should you drink? Most authorities agree that for the most part…plain water is suffice for most sporting activities. However, some disagree and feel more than “plain old water” is required.
I would concur that for activities that are short term (less than 30-45 minutes in duration), plain water is usually fine…it is only when activities become “endurance-like” or those that last for > 30- 45 minutes, that more than plain water may be necessary…and it is in this situation that the consumption of a sports drinks becomes important.
The reason you require a sport drink is to replace not only the fluids you lose, but also to replace the carbohydrate (energy source) and minerals (such as sodium-salt, potassium, and magnesium- which are essential for the body to function), which are lost. A word of caution is needed for those with dietary restrictions such as those, for example, on salt restricted diet due to hypertension. In this case, drinks containing sodium may NOT be indicated. For those with diabetes, caution for carbohydrate containing drinks is essential.
I must alert you to a serious entity known as HYPONATREMIA, or Water Intoxication. This syndrome occurs when you too rapidly, over hydrate with a fluid that is deplete of sodium (salt) or one that causes a relative dilution of your bodies own sodium (salt) content. Typically it occurs in those who consume ONLY plain water and do so at rates greater than outlined above. This is a very serious syndrome and can be life threatening. As a word a caution, it is best to consume no more than one half glass of plain water every fifteen minutes up to a total of one and one half glasses over a 30-45 minute time frame (three half glasses every fifteen minutes x three). If you require more hydration than that, a SPORTS drink is recommended. For any sporting event, once you are participating for greater than 45 minutes, a sports drink is recommended.
Let’s make these days not only FUN, but also SAFE.
Dr. Rob |
