Fitness

The Athlete and Fluids

It appears that many athletes are worried about how much fluids they drink. Some claim they do not drink enough, others claims they drink too much and almost every one claims they do not know what to drink or what is the best drink. How much to drink has become the number one question today?

Some fitness experts suggest drinking 6 glasses of water a day, others say 6 bottles a day and yet others say 6 glasses an hour. There is no doubt that water is a necessity for survival and required to maintain good health but there is no real answer for each individual. The amount one drinks will depend on the level of exercise you perform, the environment you live in and if you have any medical disorders. It is crazy to say one must drink 6 glasses a water everyday. Some people only drink 2-3 glasses of water and that is okay. Water is a great beverage when one exercises and is thirsty, but when sitting on the cough watching TV all day; it is not a fun drink at all.

All over Cyberspace there are countless formulas and equations telling people how much to drink and at what time to drink. This is hogwash. There are no magical formulas for drinking water. Just like you urinate when you feel like, you drink when you are thirsty. If you are not thirsty, then there is no way you are going to drink 8 glasses of water. A common sense approach is to drink enough fluids so that you make light urine everyday. If your urine is dark yellow and smells (concentrated ammonia), then it is time to drink more fluids.

Your browser may not support display of this image.However, the need for water is increased during:

* Exercise-all individuals who exercise sweat and this leads to fluid loss. For short periods of exercise one may require about half a bottle of water, but more prolonged activity like a marathon can easily require 2-4 bottles of water. The need for water is primarily determined on how much one sweats and the duration of exercise.

* Pregnancy and/or women who breast feed usually requires more water than usual. Most experts recommend that pregnant women drink at least 2-2.5 liters a day to help nourish their body

* Hot dry weather can make one sweat and fluids are rapidly lost from the body. Further, those individuals who exercise at high altitudes also lose more water through urination and require more water

* Any individual who is ill or has a fever generally requires more water. During illnesses, most individuals do not feel like eating and thus, fluids should be encouraged. Those individuals who develop kidney stones or bladder infection generally require more water to get rid of the infection and hopefully excrete the stone (if it small-quite a painful experience)

What to drink

There is a whole industry out there which sells beverages for the athlete. In the majority of cases, it is all media hype. Any diet with lots of fruits and vegetables contain water. And there are lots of beverages with special formulas and electrolytes on the market. For the majority of individuals, there is nothing better than water, it is relatively cheap, readily available and is chemical free. And you do not even gain weight or rot your teeth from it. Water suffices in the majority of cases- provided you also eat decent food.

Can one become ill from drinking to much water? This is physically impossible. In a healthy person, if you drink too much water, all that will happen is that you will spend all your time in the bathroom peeing it out.

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