Effects of fluid intake and dehydration on physiology and performance

🧂More sodium isn't the solution to your struggles in the heat and humidity.

Around this time of the year, I often receive many emails from athletes struggling with sport nutrition while training/performing in the heat and humidity. With good reason, dehydration is a major contributor to health, performance and GI issues.

As a result, many athletes believe that they need to consume more sodium during exercise. While sodium is important, high heat and humidity lead to two major problems in the exercising body:
1) increased core body temperature and
2) dehydration

Interestingly, the athletes struggling the most (ex. vomiting, cramping, stomach pains, nausea) are already consuming a lot of sodium!

 

For those who constantly obsess over sodium, it's important to understand the basics of sweat:
💦You do not lose salt without fluid.
💦Sweat is hypotonic (water loss is greater than solute loss).
💦To effectively rehydrate during exercise, you need sodium and carbs to help with the absorption and retention of fluids.
💦Carbs, sodium and fluid (in the correct concentration) are needed to support a body in motion.
💦A well-formulated sport drink is the most practical way to meet fluid needs while keeping your muscles hydrated and fueled.

💧Understand your predicted sweat rate.
💧Plan ahead.
💧Stay diligent keeping up with your plan (carry, stop, refill, repeat).
💧Stay disciplined to avoid overdrinking.
💧Keep yourself cool.
💧Pace yourself.

And if you aren't keeping up with your fluid and carb intake in the 72 hours going into a long workout, you are already behind and at a performance dissadvantage.