Hydrate or Lose Performance..

                             

I think we can all agree that water between rounds is amazing, there are times that in the absence of water you'd even contemplate licking a puddle!

With the abundance of water replacement products on the market now and following clever marketing by soft drinks manufacturers people are less inclined to head for boring simple water, the reality is we only drink water if we are thirsty.

The problem is that by the time you feel thirsty you are already unto 2% dehydrated and your performance is already compromised. Endurance is reduced, fatigue sets in quicker, you have reduced motivation to do anything and increased perceived effort. This is just from feeling thirsty!

In a normal two hour Muay Thai workout its not uncommon for athletes to lose up to 3-4% of body weight in sweat. If you are in hot climates this could be increased to 6%, this can lead to dehydration, exhaustion and even heat stroke. When dehydrated your blood thickens making your heart work harder. Your temperature increases as your body fights to keep you cool.

Still think that not drinking enough water isn't an issue?

Quick test -  go to the toilet right now and test the colour of your urine against this chart.

So if your piddle is coloured like numbers 3 or 7 the chances are that your dehydrated - drink!!

How much water should we drink?

The European Food Safety Authority recommends that women drink 1.6 litres and men should drink 2 litres of water per day. This is just to replace water lost in normal day to day activities and is based on the average person (whatever that is) the bigger you are, the more active you are and the temperature all increase this amount quite considerably.

Before Training

Its recommended that you take a look at your water intake long before training commences, if you wait until you are given permission to drink the chances are that you are already dehydrated and your performance is hindered. I would recommend that students drink at least 500ml of water at least 30 minutes before training. Dont drink like a camel at an oasis either - gulping down half your water in one intake is only going to cause further issues with your training.

During Training

Fluid replacement is the main objective, take regular sips of water and aim for around 250ml of water every 15mins or so.

After Training

Forget that alcoholic treat as a reward, a good litre of water will re-hydrate you pretty quickly.

So next time your not feeling energised when your training take a serious look at the amounts of water that you have consumed in the last 48hrs before training. Water could be holding you back.