Summer is here and with it comes the heat and humidity that present additional challenges to training. Hydration is fundamental to physiological function, but it is often neglected as a training strategy until its absence leads to cramping, fatigue, dizziness, and gaps in performance. Unfortunately, by the time you notice the symptoms, it’s often too late to prevent the negative impact of dehydration. Hydration is a balance between fluids and electrolytes and is crucial for athletes at all levels. I want to unpack the science supporting proper levels of fluid and electrolytes in the body. As we know, water accounts for about 60% of our total body weight and plays a critical role in regulating body temperature, transporting nutrients and oxygen to muscles, removing metabolic waste, lubricating joints, and neurological functionality. Electrolytes are a category of minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, chloride, and phosphorus, which support nerve and muscle function, maintain acid-base balance and help control fluid levels in and around cells. Proper hydration requires us to balance fluids and electrolytes against sweat and exercise. Management can be as simple as basic arithmetic: intake must be greater than or equal to output.
Even a 2% drop in body weight from dehydration during prolonged exercise can degrade endurance, strength, and focus; lead to muscle cramps, dizziness, lightheadedness, fatigue, heart palpitations, and even collapse in severe cases. The smart strategy for coping with this ever-present threat to health and performance is not re-hydration but a proactive approach to maintaining balance. As a former NCAA Division 1 athlete and sports medicine specialist, I counsel my clients to be intentional about when and how much to drink. Weigh yourself before and after exercise to establish your individual dehydration levels. Athletes should drink 8-16 ounces every four hours around the clock, and specifically for pre-workout hydrations, try drinking 20-32 ounces of water or electrolyte beverage in the 2–3 hour window prior to exercise, drink 8–16 of those ounces should be consumed in the 30 minutes before exercise. In the first 4-6 hours after working out, athletes should consume 20 ounces of fluid per hour of exercise. Like sleep and food nutrition, this requires discipline because you should be hydrating even if you’re not thirsty. Be mindful of your situation too, especially if you are exercising at higher altitudes, warmer temperatures or greater intensity. Keep this thought in mind: by the time you are thirsty, your body is already moderately dehydrated.
Water and electrolytes may not get the big buzz or spotlight attention that protein powders or performance gear do, but they are just as critical to achieving elite levels of athletic performance. My clients are professional athletes who understand that dehydration and electrolyte imbalance impair muscle function, endurance, and mental clarity. So please create your own hydration strategies to stay safer, recover faster, and perform better.