Why hydration is key!

Water is essential for living, which also plays a part in athletics performance. This simple compound is probably the best performance enhancer in the world!

Water is essential to maintain blood volume, regulate body temperature and allow muscle contractions to take place. Your muscles are basically bathing in water so without this fluid you wouldn't perform very well! Being dehydrated raises your heart rate and body temperature without even exercising. When you go for your run it will feel so much tougher then usual when dehydrated.

How can I combat this?

Whether you are exercising or not it is important to drink plenty of water throughout the day. A good indicator of whether you are drinking too much is to monitor the colour of your urine. If you see are seeing a dark yellow shade you are probably dehydrated. Always start exercise well hydrated; this will lower the risk of becoming dehydrated while your running. However there is minimal performance benefit to being over-hydrated as drinking excessive amounts of fluid before causes increased urination and feeling bloated!

After training sessions you should replenish your fluid deficit for optimal health and recovery. Your body needs the fluid to carry nutrients to your damaged muscles to help the repair process.

What about Sports Drinks?

Plain water alone is an effective drink for fluid replacement, especially in low intensity and short duration sports. However, if carbohydrate and electrolytes are added to water, as in a sports drink, performance can be enhanced, especially in high intensity and endurance sports.

Carbohydrate in fluid provides a muscle energy source as well as enhancing flavour. This can be one advantage of a sports drink over plain water. Electrolytes such as sodium are lost in sweat and these drinks help replace them!!