Ensuring you are correctly hydrated is a crucial part of preparation for a match. From a nutritional aspect in rugby, hydration plays a key role in a reduction of both fatigue and concentration levels. Numerous studies have shown a decrease in body weight through fluid loss during playing results in a 20% drop in concentration, the difference between losing and wining a match in the last crucial minutes of the game.
Good hydration habits should be built in to training and maintained on non training days to prevent the onset of dehydration consequently effecting performance.
Dehydration commonly occurs within athletes due to poor preparation and fluid choices. However this can be easily avoided if the correct protocols are put into place as this article identifies.
Back To Basics, What Is Water And Why Is It Needed In The Body?
Water is a vital nutrient within the body accounting for about 60% of body weight and serving many vital purposes within the body.
Water is the main transporter around the body making up the majority of blood and consequently transports minerals, vitamins, amino acids etc around the body and excretes waste products.
Water also acts as a medium for chemical reactions within the body and therefore is vital within our cells.
Therefore a regular intake of water is required especially during exercise to maintain blood flow, reduce body temperature and reduce stress on the heart.
What is dehydration?
Dehydration is simply a loss of fluid from the body. During exercise and hot weather the rate of dehydration is increased and further advanced by a reduction of intake of fluids.
As a result fluid loss in exercise is very high and if not replaced correctly will lead to fatigue, poor concentration and an overall noticeable reduction in performance.
Symptoms
The best detector for dehydration is your urine through observation of colour and smell; a strong colour and smell indicates dehydration. There are other more obvious signs such as dizziness, light headedness and headache. If you are feeling thirsty you are already dehydrated.
How to avoid dehydration
Preparation is the key to correct hydration.
Getting into good habits of taking fluids on board throughout the day at training, match days and on off days will set a good grounding for regulating your fluid intake.
It is important to train your body to have a 'little and often' attitude to fluid intake by having bottles of water with you in your training bag, in the car and when you are away from home. It is important to take every opportunity to incorporate fluids into your daily routine.
A constant intake keeps your fluid levels high rather than leaving long periods between drinks. It also helps your body adjust to fluid in the stomach and gives you a better indication on how much you can drink before you need to go to the toilet.
Before a match and during training diuretics such as caffeine drinks tea, coffee should be avoided as well as alcohol.
What should I be drinking?
Water is a great choice of fluid intake and should make up the majority of your intake however when you sweat your body is not only losing water but also electrolytes such as potassium, calcium, sodium etc.
These electrolytes are essential on a cellular level and therefore for optimum hydration need to replaced.
Therefore the best choice of drink during training and matches is a sports drink containing electrolytes and a high GI carbohydrate such as grapefruit juice as well as water.
How much should I be drinking?
Fluid requirements vary person to person and are dependent on a number of factors such as rate of sweat loss, intensity of exercise, temperature conditions and individual body composite i.e. muscle to fat ratio.
It is recommended that you aim to drink at least 2-3 litres of water per day, which includes food sources of water such as fruit and vegetables. During periods of heavy training and match days it is advised to consume 400-500 ml of fluid before and 600-1000ml after.
It is important to begin training or matches in a hydrated state and maintain this state by regularly sipping fluid at every opportunity rather than waiting which by you may have already become dehydrated.
By setting it as a priority to ensure you are always adequately hydrated will help contribute to achieving your optimum performance within your game by reducing fatigue, concentration and impaired decision making and skilled movements.
Katey Halliday
BSc (Hons) Human Nutrition
References
Burke. L, Deekin. V (2002), Clinical Sports Nutrition, 2nd Edition, McGraw-Hill Book Company, Australia Pty Limited, Australia
Kleiner S. M (2001), Power Eating, 2nd Edition, Human kinetics
Ivy, J, Portman. R (2004), The future of sports nutrition, Nutrient timing, Basic Health Publications Inc
Mann. J, Truswell A. S (2002), Essentials of Human Nutrition, 2nd edition, Oxford University Press