Hydrate For Success!

We’ve all heard time and time again that it is important to drink enough fluids, but do you know why, how much, when, and what to drink? If you want to perform your best, you need to make sure you are hydrating your body properly. Read on to learn more!
Why?
Drinking enough fluids is vital for your optimal athletic performance! Dehydration can result in:
• Increased body temperature
• Increased strain on your heart
• Increased glycogen utilization (which will cause you to become tired faster)
• Decreased mental clarity
• Decreased athletic performance
How much?
Every athlete requires different amount of fluids depending on factors such as sweat rate, length of exercise, temperature, and how much gear is worn. Basically any factor that causes you to sweat more will indicate a need for increased fluids.
One way to determine if you are sweating a lot during exercise is to weigh yourself before and after exercising. Aim to drink 16-24 oz. of fluids for every pound that you lose during exercise.
Take caution: you CAN drink too much! Overhydrating may cause hyponatremia (low levels of sodium) which can have very serious complications. In general if you drink no more than one cup of water every twenty minutes, you will avoid being overhydrated.
The easiest way to tell if you are adequately hydrated is to look at your urine color. Your urine should be the color of light lemonade. Clear urine means that you are overhydrated and dark urine means that you are dehydrated. If your urine matches colors 1-3 in the chart to the right, you should be adequately hydrated. Be aware that taking B vitamins will cause your urine to be bright yellow and this is not an accurate indication of your hydration status.

When?
It is important to be adequately hydrated before you begin your workout or competition in order to perform your best. You should start hydrating 4 hours prior to exercising. A 150 lb. athlete will need to drink about half a liter of water within the four hours before exercising to be adequately hydrated. The urine test can help to let you know if you need to drink more or less water.
It is also important to drink fluids during exercise. Make sure to drink 7-10 ounces of fluids every 15-20 minutes if you are exercising for over an hour.
As a reminder, you should drink about 16-24 ounces of fluids after exercise for every pound lost. No need to chug the whole amount right away! Just be sure to get them in within 4 hours of finishing your workout.
What?
In order to replace carbohydrates and electrolytes lost during exercise, it may be necessary to drink more than just water.
If you are exercising for more than two hours or if you sweat a lot, you will need to replace your sodium with a sports beverage. Endurance athletes will also need to replace carbohydrate losses in order to replenish glycogen stores and avoid “hitting the wall”. Gatorade is a great option for replacing both sodium and carbohydrate losses.
Hopefully now you have a better understanding of how to properly hydrate yourself so that you can perform your best! Remember that everyone is unique in the amount and type of fluids they require. If you have any questions, feel free to set up an appointment with Emily or Michelle.

Fueling Bruins,
Maryann Boosalis
UCLA Sports Nutrition Intern