Stay Hydarated

Summer is in full swing, and the heat is here. it is vital to keep the proper hydration.

Hydrating your body during exercise is a fundamental element of performing well. If you are not making an effort to take a drink of water or sports drink every time you get a break from the match, you are most certainly thwarting your body’s ability to play at the highest level.

There are several key reasons why it is important to hydrate during exercise in general and in volleyball in particular. The gist is that proper water intake allows your body to function more easily in very important ways.

If you are an outdoor grass or sand player, you need to hydrate even more because the heat will strip you of even more of your fluids than the average indoor player.

Here are the main reasons you should pay attention to your hydration if you want to play well.

1. Proper hydration helps the body to digest and metabolize food and nutrients
2. Hydration helps the body eliminate waste more efficiently
3. Some of the water you drink is transformed into sweat which allows the body to regulate its temperature properly. Staying hydrated allows the body to get the nutrients from the food you eat through your system so you can use it for energy,
4. There are no hard and fast rules that apply to everyone when it come to the proper intake of fluids during exercise. If you sweat a lot, you are at a higher risk of dehydration and you need to drink more to make up for the loss. If you don’t sweat, you are still not off the hook. You too are losing water (though at a slower rate) and you need to replace it.In normal life, drinking when you’re thirsty is enough to keep most people adequately hydrated.

   But for athletes who know that they will be losing a lot of water during play, it is important to drink before you’re thirsty. If you’re thirsty, you are already on the road to dehydration. Drink something immediately and then keep drinking a little bit at a time throughout the match or tournament.

   You must get to know your body and what it needs in order to properly hydrate. What you need may be starkly different than what your teammates need to perform well. Just pay attention to how much water you drink and how your body reacts to it to come up with your personal hydration plan.

   Most people are prone to dehydration but it is possible to drink too much fluid which is also harmful to the body. Although rare, it happens, so be aware of it. When drinking water, it is much more productive to drink a few gulps at a time instead of downing an entire bottle of water every other hour. Drinking a little water often is much more effective because your body is able to metabolize the fluids and use them more efficiently.

   With that in mind, here are some tips on your fluid intake:

   1. Drink 15-20 ounces of water 2-3 hours before exercise
   2. Drink 8-10 ounces of water 10-15 minutes before exercise
   3. If you are playing for more than 90 minutes, add a sports drink to your fluid intake
   4. Drink water and sports drink in the two hours following play to replace what you lost

Have fun this summer but remember to Hydrate!!