3d (edited) • General discussion
The ultimate hydration guide.
When it comes to athletic success in combat sports, there is a crucial, yet often overlooked, component.
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, it's crucial to start your hydration process several hours before training - especially if you're preparing for a session longer than 60 minutes or in a hot environment.
Aim for 5-10ml of fluid per kilogram of bodyweight in the 2-4 hours leading up to the training session.
So a 100kg athlete should drink 500-1000ml. Adding salt to your fluids and foods before training can help with fluid retention.
When it comes to hydration during your training, it's important to note that sweat loss is highly individualised. To determine your personal hydration needs, you should calculate your hourly sweat rate by following these steps.
Weigh yourself immediately before and after your training. Keep track of your fluid intake during the session. Subtract your post-training weight from your pre-training weight, then add the liters of fluid consumed during the session. Divide this number by the duration of your training session in hours to obtain your hourly sweat rate. This will provide a more personalized guideline for your fluid intake during training.
Even after you've finished exercising, your body continues to lose fluids through sweat and urine. This means that to effectively rehydrate, you need to consume more fluid than you've lost. For every kilogram of bodyweight lost through sweat, you should consume 1.25-1.5 liters of fluid.
But sweat isn't just water leaving your body. It's a cocktail of vital elements. Sodium is the main component, but the amounts can vary. Sweat also contains smaller but equally important amounts of potassium, calcium and magnesium. This is why simply replacing water isn't enough during intense training - you also need to replenish these crucial electrolytes.
The average sodium concentration in sweat is roughly 1 gram per liter - however, this can vary widely between athletes. If you notice that your sweat leaves white marks on your skin and clothing, this number may be higher for you.
According to the American College of Sports Medicine, each liter of a fluid replacement drink should contain about 450-700mg of sodium and about 80-200mg of potassium. It's also beneficial to add carbohydrates to help maintain adequate blood sugar levels for energy.
Fluid loss of over 2% of your bodyweight can impair cognitive function and aerobic exercise performance, especially in hot weather. When dehydration reaches 3-5%, it's more likely to also affect high-intensity activities and sport-specific skills - even in a cool setting. These effects become even more pronounced with dehydration of 6-10%. This can also lead to a decrease in exercise tolerance, cardiac output, sweat production and blood flow to the skin and muscles.
Ideally, you should try replenish fluids and electrolytes during exercise to keep the total body fluid deficit under 2% - however this can be difficult, especially in a hot training settings.
If you've lost more than 5% of your body weight through sweat or you're less than 24 hours out from your next training session or competition, an urgent rehydration strategy becomes even more crucial.
Keep in mind though that rehydration should not be rushed. Distribute your fluid and electrolyte intake across multiple hours, allowing your body sufficient time to absorb these vital components. You can consume electrolyte drinks, add salt to water or even add a little extra salt to your foods.
Shout out to Sven Koch for this very informative video.
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The ultimate hydration guide.
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