A recent study has shown that even experienced athletes under estimate how little they need to drink to stay hydrated due to sweat loss. The study looked at eighteen experienced runners who competed in a 10-mile road race. It looked at how the runners estimated their sweat loss and fluid consumption. The results show how much the runner’s dehydrated and how little fluid the runners had taken in. The runners had under estimated their sweat loss by 46 percent and fluid intake by 15 percent. The result showed the runners had only replaced 31 percent of fluid. The data showed that even the most experienced athlete could under estimate the amount of fluid lost due to activity. The potential for dehydration for the average exerciser could be more severe. It is important to hydrate the body before, during and after physical activity. The body cannot rely on thirst to keep the body hydrated.
The effects of dehydration
There are a number of drinks on the market to help the body absorb fluid into the body. Water alone is not the best way to hydrate the body due to the rate at which it leaves the stomach and absorbed by the intestines.
Isotonic drinks quickly replenish the fluids lost by dehydration. This drink is mostly favoured by middle distance, long distance athletes and sports teams. E.g. Lucozade Sports and Boots Isotonic. The drinks also contain glucose the body-preferred source of energy.
You can make your own isotonic drink very easily. Here is a simple recipe;
> 200ml of concentrated orange juice
> 1 litre of water
> 1 gram of salt
Mix all the ingredients and chill.
Artificial Sweating
The 'Coolie' is a new innovative device on the market to help reduce dehydration during physical activity. It is an ingenious device to replicate sweating.
Once the body starts to warm up it needs to rid the heat by means of convection, the same way a hot drink losses heat.
The Coolie once activated with water is worn around the neck. It starts to release heat from the body before the onset of sweat which in turn reduces dehydration.
The Coolie can also be chilled before use, therefore reducing the onset of dehydration further.
Coolies can be obtained from http://www.cooliecreations.com/
