[Sports Nutrition Lounge] Hydration & Performance

About 60-70% of the human body is water, which is distributed in different cells and tissues, including the brain, heart, lungs, skin, muscles, kidneys etc.

Even a slight loss of water can already have a significant impact on exercise performance, athletes should try to avoid losing more than 2% of their body weight in water.

Using WUT model to minimize the risk of dehydration: W for weight loss (approximately 0.5 - 1kg), U for urine color (amber or above), T for thirst sensation (obviously thirsty)

From a hydration perspective, not all drinks are created equal. Beverage Hydration Index (BHI) has shown that many beverages are very similar to water (sports drinks, tea, cola, diet cola), orange juice and milk (full fat or skimmed) even better.

Sufficient water intake before exercise can reduce the impact of dehydration. Drink 2–2.5 cups of water 2–4 hours before exercise, and allow time for excess water to be excreted

If the exercise duration is less than 1 hour, water is enough, intake 2-3 large mouthfuls of water every 15-20 minutes; If more than 1 hour or high-intensity exercise, it is necessary to use hypotonic sports drinks to replace lost water, glycogen and electrolytes