When it comes to fuelling for performance, one thing that many tend to forget about is hydration!
Adequate hydration is crucial to optimise performance.
When we speak of hydration we need to look at both overall fluid intake, as well as electrolyte replenishment because when we sweat we don’t just lose liquids, we also sweat out electrolytes such as sodium/potassium/calcium.
Electrolytes have a variety of functions. They play a role in muscle contractions, carbohydrate absorption, maintaining overall homeostasis (balance) in the body and they also play a role in nerve signalling!
So where does one start?
1. Ensure adequate overall fluid intake
A very general rule of thumb is to try and aim for about 500ml of liquids per hour. However this is very dependent on individual sweat rate and also the conditions in which one is exercising. If it is hot and humid, overall fluid requirements will be a lot higher than in cooler conditions. Tip: sip on your liquids versus drinking large quantities at once.
2. Look at adding sodium/electrolytes to optimize your hydration strategy.
The composition of our sweat varies from person to person and the only way to really know how much sodium one loses per liter of sweat, is to do a sweat composition test. Some lose around 500 mg of sodium per liter of sweat and some lose as much as 2000 mg per liter.
Some signs of being a more ‘salty’ sweater are: cramping when it is hot or salt residue marks on clothing or skin after exercise.
If this is you, then you are likely to benefit from including more electrolytes into your hydration strategy.
In summary, to get the most out of your fuelling strategy, you want to make sure that you are getting in enough carbohydrates per hour, while also meeting hydration requirements in terms of overall fluid intake as well as electrolyte intake.