The Importance of Hydration

Your body is just like your car’s engine; if you can’t cool it off, it won’t perform. Overheat your body and you run the risk of breaking down entirely. That’s why it’s important to monitor your fluid intake during workouts and games to avoid dehydration and heat exhaustion. Be especially watchful on hot and/or humid days. To make sure that you stay hydrated, drink before and during practices/games and drink often. Remember, if your thirsty, you’re already dehydrated.

Your body is approximately 65% water. During games, drills and workouts, you lose body fluids through sweating. It’s not unusual for some athletes, especially pitchers and catchers, to lose four pounds of body weight (about two quarts of sweat) each hour. At this rate, you could lose 10-12 pounds in a 3-hour game. A 10-pound weight loss for a 200-pounder is a 5% loss in body weight. A 5% loss can be extremely detrimental to both your health and performance. Research indicates that even a 2% decrease in body weight due to dehydration can reduce performance by 8-10%. You’ll feel tired and drained. You won’t be able to train or compete at your best and you’ll significantly increase your risk of heat illness.

To determine dehydration status, towel off and weigh nude before and after practice and games. Replace each pound of weight lost with 24 ounces of fluid. Also monitor your urine. If it’s clear, you’re OK. If it’s dark and smells like ammonia, you’re approaching or have reached dehydration.

Coffee and alcohol are diuretics; they can cause you to lose water. Caffeine makes you feel more alert. Alcohol numbs the sense of fatigue and pain. Both cause you to lose body water. Drink each in moderation. Drinking 3-4 cups of coffee before and during a game contributes to dehydration. Beer also contains carbonation, which gives you a sense of fullness and tends to limit fluid consumption at a time when fluid consumption should be high. Downing a 6-pack after games will not allow you to completely rehydrate prior to tomorrow’s game.

You don’t have to be gasping for water to be dried out. One of the earliest signs of dehydration is fatigue. Other signs include red skin, loss of appetite, dizziness, muscle cramps or spasms and urine that is dark yellow and has a strong odor.