 Something that doesn’t often get talked about as much as dehydration is overhydration. Consuming to much water can lead to water intoxication which can be fatal. Athletes are often told to drink water frequently to prevent dehyrdation. Taking this too seriously could lead to overconsumtion and water toxicity. This is where electrolytes, specifically salt, plays an important role in maintaining adequate hydration.
Sodium (salt) is the main electrolyte of concern when it comes to hydration. Sodium is lost with water in the sweat. Have you ever tasted your own sweat? Next time you find yourself in a sweaty situation, taste it. Does it taste salty? Just like how everyone has a different sweat rate, some people are saltier sweaters than others. If you are a salty sweater, you may even have white crystals that appear after you sweat. Sodium plays a key role in keeping the body in homeostasis, regulating fluid and electrolyte balance and regulating blood pressure. Hyponatremia occurs when there is a low amount of sodium in the body (hypo - meaning low, and - natremia refering to sodium) [1]. When too much water is consumed or an excessive amount of salt is sweated out of the body, it throws off the fluid and electrolyte balance - water increases and sodium decreases. The normal sodium range in adults is 135-145 mEq/L [2]. A level below 135 mEq/L is considered hyponatriema. In addition to excessive fluid intake, it can also be caused by decreased urine output, fluid retention, or a restricted sodium diet (often seen in vegan and vegetarian populations) [3]. When sodium is low, water accumulates and can lead to swelling in the body and brain. As a result neurological symptoms such as confusion, coma, seizures, lethargy, and malaise can appear. Additionally, stomach distress, nausea, and vomiting can also occur [3]. This is why electrolyte sports drinks, powders, and tablets exist. We want to help keep the body in balance, so drinking something more than just pure water on a hot and sweaty day is most often the best choice. Not to mention, most of them also taste really good! So when your performing and you are sweating like a waterfall on a super hot day, go grab yourself your favorite electrolyte drink. Abbi and I have been trying different electrolytes this month so that we can share our favorites with you! We also want to know your favorites, so take a picture of you with your favorite drink, post it on your instagram story, and tag us, @the.athletic.performer, and we will spotlight you and try the drink for ourselves! Stay hydrated Sophia Resources
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7/7/2024 0 Comments PReventing Dehydration It's going to be a very hot week of over 100°F here in Boise, Idaho which means that I will be sweating a lot. Preventing dehydration is important this week as we try to beat the heat, so lets dive into dehydration and how we can prevent it.
The National Institute of Health defines dehydration as a condition that occurs when the body loses too much water that it requires in order to function normally [1]. Some of the most common signs that are associated with dehydration include excessive third, nausea, dark urine, fatige, and light-headedness [2]. The goal when exercising is NOT LOSE MORE than 1-2% weight loss during exercise [3]. Ensuring that we are hydrating before, during, and after exercise can help us achieve this goal. We will cover more specifics on recommended fluid replacement in a later blog. Today, let’s check out some tips and tricks for preventing dehydration. If you find yourself experiencing these feelings during your exercise, consider stopping and take a drink of water. Ask yourself, when was the last time I drank water and how much? An easy, quick, and practical way to check your hydration is by observing your pee. You can start monitoring your hydration first thing in the morning when you wake up! Opaque or clear urine is a sign of good hydration. On the other end, urine that is dark in color and has a strong odor is a sign of dehyrdration. On days when you are highly active, this can be a quick and easy way to ensure that your are getting in enough fluids. Acclimatization is the process of adapting to a new climate or environment. It is another tool that athletes can use. The human body already has the amazing ability to adapt to what ever environment we are in, however, it can take time for the body to feel “normal” in a new environment. Think of a runner who lives and trains at lower altitude. Lets say they take a vacation to somewhere that is higher in altitude and they want to take a mile run on the 2nd day of their trip. Likely, their going to fatigue faster and their time is going to be slower in that different climate because their bodies have not had time to adapt fully to the new environment. Research recommends that taking the the time to practice and/or rehearse in a new environment several days before performing will decrease the risk of dehydration and decreased performance [4]. Luckily, in the world of theatre, we usually have multiple rehearsals scheduled before we give a performance. This is the time to test your current hydrating practices and discover what you need to change in order to have a successful performance. Lastly, knowing how much water that you are losing through your sweat can help you get an idea of how much fluid you need to consume. Each individual has their own unique sweat rate - the amount to water lost per hour during exercise. Calculating your sweat rate requires you record your pre and post exercise weight, any urine excreted during exercise, exercise duration, and any fluids consumed (including food). While it takes time to record everything, it can be informative to get an idea of how much you sweat. The Gatorade Sports Science Institute has created an online sweat rate calculator so all you have to do is plug in your numbers! Check it out using the following link: https://www.gssiweb.org/toolbox/fluidloss/calculator. Have a fantastic, hydrating week! Sophia MS References
7/1/2024 0 Comments A BRIEF LOOK AT HYDRATION...
Abbi and I have been lucky enough to grow up doing theatre under the stars at night. It’s a magical experience, but also a lot of hard work as rehearsing outside in the heat is demanding on the body. I’m sure all of you have experienced intense sweating along with the early fatigue that occurs when you are being physically active in hot conditions.
Luckily, our bodies are very smart. On these hot and humid summer days, the body excretes sweat to cool down our temperature, resulting in fluid loss. The hot environment also causes our veins to dilate in size [2]. Between the fluid loss and the dilation of our viens, our blood pressure decreases, causing the heart to work harder to pump blood through the body. This is the process that causes that increased heart rate and fatigue you feel after a good sweaty workout. As your fatigue increases, your performance decreases. So, how do we make sure that we are adequately hydrating ourselves? That is exactly what we are going to be covering over the month of July! Stay tuned to learn on how to analyze your hydration status, try out methods for replacing fluids, and discover some of Abbi and my favorite hydrating products. Best, Sophia MS References: 1. Raymond, J. L., Morrow, K. (20200503). Krause and Mahan’s Food and the Nutrition Care Process, 15th Edition. [VitalSource Bookshelf 10.2.1]. Retrieved from vbk://9780323636568 2. Kreider, R. B. (2019). Water & Fluid Replacement. In Essentials of Exercise & Sport Nutrition Science to Practice (pp. 173–185). essay, Lulu Publishing Services. |
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