Severe dehydration, a medical emergency, is characterized by:
• Extreme thirst
• Irritability and confusion
• Very dry mouth, skin and mucous membranes
• Lack of sweating
• Little or no urination (urine produced is dark)
• Dry, inelastic, shriveled skin
• Low blood pressure
• Increased heart rate
• Fever
• Delirium or unconsciousness
HYDRATION BEFORE AN EVENT
Hyperhydrate just before the start of play in hot weather. This
can be accomplished by drinking 15-20 ounces of cold water or an
electrolyte solution. Doing so will help delay the onset of dehydration.
The maximum rate of fluid absorption by the gastro-intestinal tract
during exercise is approximately 30 fluid ounces (890 ml) per hour.
The rate of fluid loss through sweating during exercise in the heat is
close to 60 ounces per hour. This means that with prolonged intense
hot-weather exercise, the onset of dehydration is inevitable. Drinking
about 8 ounces of fluid every 15 minutes is the most effective way to
delay dehydration during hot-weather exercising.
Understand that there is a large range among athletes when it
comes to the volume of fluid lost while exercising in the heat. The
rate is dependent upon the quickness of ingestion and absorption,
the type of fluid ingested, the amount of sweating, the rate of gastric
emptying, the intensity of training, plus the percentage of body fat,
age and numerous other factors.
Bottom line: Take time
to understand your
hydration capacity and
experiment with sport
drinks and the amount
of liquid consumption
during those hot
pickleball days. •
Alan Bragman is a
chiropractor living in
Atlanta, Georgia. He is a
former Cat 3 cyclist and
nationally ranked table
tennis player and inline
speed skater. He was
on the medical advisory
board at Bicycling
magazine for 10 years
and has written for
numerous other sports
publications.
SPORTS DRINKS AND HYDRATION
The three major physiological problems faced
during physical exertion are the loss of water
and electrolytes, elevation of body temperature,
and depletion of energy reserves. In the 1960s,
Gatorade was introduced as the first beverage
designed to rehydrate the body quickly while
improving performance. All sports drinks
accomplish this same goal with a well-balanced
mixture of water, sugar (carbohydrate) and salts
(electrolytes).
Sports drinks have four primary mechanisms
that attempt to keep us functioning normally even
during extreme physical exertion:
They promote fluid absorption. According to
Gatorade research, 6% is the ideal concentration of
carbohydrate to achieve maximum fluid absorption
(aided by the addition of sodium to the mixture).
Sports drinks and fruit juices that exceed 7% slow
absorption, according to the research.
They promote rehydration. A properly
formulated mixture of carbohydrate and
electrolytes promotes rehydration. The addition of
sodium also helps maintain body fluids.
They supply carbohydrate energy. The addition
of sugar to a sports drink provides energy to
working muscles. This allows athletes to exercise
harder and longer before depleting glycogen
reserves.
They encourage drinking. Sports drinks with
salts and sugars make you want to drink sooner
and more often. The body’s thirst mechanism
doesn’t kick in to stimulate drinking until we are
beginning to dehydrate.
What does science say about claims by sports
drink manufacturers that their products increase
athletic performance? According to researcher
Louis M. Burke of the Australian Institute of Sport
in Victoria, “During endurance and ultra-endurance
exercise, suitable intake of a sports drink to preserve
hydration and to supply additional carbohydrate
substrate for glycogen-depleted muscles has been
shown to improve performance.”
In sum, sports drinks are a convenient way of
taking in electrolytes and glucose, delaying the
depletion of muscle glycogen and fatigue. Adding
vitamins to sports drinks has no proven benefit
and may adversely affect the taste. If a sports
drink has a carbohydrate level greater than the
recommended 6%, you should dilute it to avoid the
risk of stomach upset.
JUNE 2016 |
MAGAZINE
39