Drink up!

We all know how important it is to remain hydrated during sport and exercise so as to maintain our performance level. Your body needs to replace fluids, sodium, potassium, chloride and other elements lost during exertion. And while it is important to consume liquids there may be a couple of little known facts that you might be interested to add to your knowledge bank.

• Did you know that emerging data shows that simply washing the mouth with water or sports drink can effectively delay fatigue? So while consuming the necessary fluids is important, rinsing your mouth can be beneficial as well. (article 3)


• The same article suggests that people who drank fluids from freely flowing sources such as a cup or open mouth bottle consume more than those who drink from a straw? Something to think about next time you use that squeeze bottle, perhaps taking the nozzle out might be more beneficial. (article 3)


• You may not feel like your sweating as much during cold weather workouts, but you are still losing fluids while exercising in the winter. You may not need the same amount of electrolyte replacement as during the summer, but it is important to keep up fluid levels as cold-weather dehydration can increase the risk of hypothermia. (article 4)

So whether you are a recreational or high performance athlete, and it’s summer or winter it is important to check and maintain a good fluid balance to stay at your best performance level. Checkout these and other hydration-related resources at the SIRC library:

1. Hydration science-From Hype to Hyponatremia Scan’s Pulse, Summer 2009, 28(3) p.17
   
2. Gregory Seale. Water and the Energy Drink. SPED: Sport and Physical Education. May 2009, 6(1) p.8-9.
   
3. Kirkendall, Donald. Hydration: It’s Just the First Step. Soccer Journal, September-October 2009, 54(5) p. 20.
   
4. Carmichael, Chris. Drinking Problem. Outside. December 2006, 31(12) p. 80.