Hydration For Athletic Performance

If you’re any type of athlete – from playing at the club level to a weekend warrior – you know the importance of staying hydrated. However, you may not know the exact number of ounces of water you should drink each day or how caffeine affects your fluid intake.

We recently sat down with experts with Franciscan Health Sports Medicine to learn how athletes should hydrate themselves.

Ensuring You’re Drinking Enough Water

“The general rule of thumb for hydration is to drink half your body weight in ounces a day,” explained Kelcey Granger, an athletic trainer with Franciscan Health Sports Medicine. “Then, for every hour of physical activity, you should drink an additional 15 to 20 ounces of water.”

So, a 160-pound person should usually drink 80 ounces of water a day, and when they exercise for two hours a day, they should aim to drink around 120 ounces of water each day.

“America is chronically dehydrated,” said Thomas Schmittdiel, MD, sports medicine physician with Franciscan Physician Network in Michigan City and La Porte. “It's because everyone, including myself, we drink too much coffee and other things. I would always recommend for people to drink more water because if you think you're drinking enough, you probably aren't.”

Drinking During Exercise

Getting properly hydrated – and staying hydrated – through exercise or athletic competition is important. Granger explained that an athlete can’t just drink three bottles of water before a practice or game and think they’re plenty hydrated for a couple hours of exercise. In fact, they’ve just overhydrated themselves.

“Your body’s going to filter some of that water out as sweat, and you’re not staying hydrated,” explained Granger.

How Other Drinks Affect Hydration

If you drink caffeinated drinks – such as soda, coffee or energy drinks – you’ll need to drink extra water to counterbalance the dehydrating effects of caffeine.

“Match the number of ounces in each energy drink to the amount of additional water you need to balance the caffeine,” said Granger. “Doing so will keep you hydrated.”

What are electrolytes?

In general, electrolytes are really important to the body because they're a bunch of ions that float around and allow a lot of cell processes and healthy things to occur.

“I grew up on Gatorade too. I think most of us did,” said Matt Rachwalski, DO, a Michigan City sports medicine physician with Franciscan Physician Network. “I think there's still some service for it, but also there may be some alternative products that may also allow for less sugar and more electrolyte formulation.”

“We don't always want to speak in broad terms because everyone has medical conditions and some people want to be careful about what electrolytes they put in,” said Dr. Schmittdiel.

When you exercise and you sweat, you lose a lot of electrolytes, which is why it's so important to replace them. So that's why you always hear about electrolytes in sports drinks and from all of the athletes.

“I will say that drinking water might not necessarily have electrolytes in it, but it doesn't mean you're doing your disservice either,” said Dr. Schmittdiel. “As long as you're eating a healthy diet and trying to do things the right way, most of the time you're going to be fine.

What is the difference between carbonated waters and regular water?

“I think there are some fundamental differences. Just the fact that you have carbonation that will affect your digestive track,” said Dr. Rachwalski.

Dr. Rachwalksi explained it’s not an equal exchange for regular tap water, filtered water or bottled water.

“I think if you're looking at it as should I drink carbonated flavored water versus go drink some pop or whatever probably a great alternative,” Dr. Rachwalksi said. “I think if you're looking at it that way, it's less calories, less sugar, probably overall has a better composition for you.”

Staying Hydrated During The Summer

When it’s really hot and humid outside, it’s even more important to make sure you’re staying hydrated to cool your body properly. And when it’s hot outside, you may not even realize how much you’re sweating because the heat quickly evaporates it. Remember to follow the above hydration rules and drink extra water while exercising and spending time outside – not just before and after.

These hydration guidelines are especially true when athletes have early morning practices.

“Those early 6 a.m. practices in August really jolt people, and they don’t remember to eat or drink,” explained Granger. “Many injuries can occur when you don’t eat and drink properly. So no matter the season, you definitely need to hydrate and eat properly throughout the day – no matter what you’re doing.”

Tips To Stay Hydrated

To make sure your body has enough fluids on and off the field, follow these tips:

• Bring a reusable water bottle to refill during exercise
• Carry a reusable water bottle to fill up at school and work
• Check that your urine is very light yellow or clear (a good sign of proper hydration)
• Drink a glass of water before each meal
• Drink a glass of water first thing in the morning
• Set alarms or notifications on your phone to remind you to drink your water