Dehydration

**Nemesai** · Posted On: 8/30/2008 7:04pm

Originally Posted by jdinca

Start drinking water an hour before your workout. If you wait until you're thirsty, it's too late. It can take up to an hour for the water in your stomach to get into your system.

This definitely helps.

I use to drop 5-8 pounds of water in practice, so beforehand I'd slam as much water as I could up to 30 minutes from practice. Then I get to the gym, take a leak, gtg. Few swigs along the way if I could find the time. I'd finish up my 2 liter/bananna on the way home and start on some powdered gatorade.

I hate how your skin feels when you're low on fluids, that along with the urine color are my main indicators.

**jdinca** · Posted On: 8/30/2008 7:25pm

Originally Posted by Nemesai

This definitely helps.

I use to drop 5-8 pounds of water in practice, so beforehand I'd slam as much water as I could up to 30 minutes from practice. Then I get to the gym, take a leak, gtg. Few swigs along the way if I could find the time. I'd finish up my 2 liter/bananna on the way home and start on some powdered gatorade.

I hate how your skin feels when you're low on fluids, that along with the urine color are my main indicators.

I hear ya. I've had a few days where I drank at least a gallon of water throughout the day and never took a leak. NOT good for your kidneys.

**Judah Maccabee** · Posted On: 8/30/2008 10:45pm

Gatorade, huh? So, Gatorade is better than random soda drinks? Alright, thanks for the advice.

Gatorade and similar sports drinks have two (arguably, three) primary advantages over plain water:

1. Sports drinks taste better than plain water, making it easier to drink more fluid in a period of time compared to flavorless water.

2. Sports drinks contain electrolytes like sodium and potassium that are critical for optimum cellular function. If you go through basic cell biology, you learn about -35mv and such and how electrolytes play their role. In the case of highly intense, sustained activity (think, 4hr desert marches with full military kit or running a marathon in the summer), drinking water alone can cause hyponatremia (sodium depletion) and can kill people. It's not usually a concern for most athletes.

Taste and electrolytes. These are the main advantages of sports drinks.

3. Sport drinks have carbohydrates, which provide energy for sustained exercise and activity. Modern formulations like Accelerade also contain a small amount of protein, which is believed to have superior benefit compared to carbs alone.

The downside to this is that by consuming calories during exercise, you can make it harder to burn off fat because you're providing your body with a more immediate source of energy vis a vis the carbs in the drinks. One of the advantages of flavored water drinks like Propel is that it's sugary and flavorful, yet non-caloric. If you're cool with artificial sweeteners, then these are good alternatives to sports drinks.

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I can vouch for Cytomax being a tasty choice for powdered sports drinks, but I find it doesn't mix very easily in cold water. You have to make it lukewarm, then chill it; that's been my experience with it.

**jdinca** · Posted On: 8/30/2008 11:53pm

Originally Posted by Judah Maccabee

I can vouch for Cytomax being a tasty choice for powdered sports drinks, but I find it doesn't mix very easily in cold water. You have to make it lukewarm, then chill it; that's been my experience with it.

Interesting. I've never tried it, or any of the others in the powdered form. How does it compare taste wise?

**Judah Maccabee** · Posted On: 8/30/2008 11:59pm

Gatorade tastes great.

Cytomax tastes great also.

**TheRuss** · Posted On: 8/31/2008 5:05pm

Originally Posted by Judah Maccabee

If you go through basic cell biology, you learn about -35mv

What's -35mv, if you don't mind me asking?

**Eddie Hardon** · Posted On: 8/31/2008 5:36pm

Originally Posted by Asriel

Drink Milk

Thanks for the Reminder.

Our previous Head of Association mentioned that to some of us last Oct when we were in Greece for an International JJ event - and it was hot so dehydration was a question from someone in the group. He also explained the rationale but sadly, I was slightly distracted by something else so I'll ask him again as I should be seeing him in Oct as I'm in Gib for another International JJ event hosted by Bushido JJ group and he'll be there.

Cheers