Sports Nutrition: Hydration

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Sports NutritionHydrationPre-competition
Meals

• Amy Boltz, RD, LDN

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How Important is Adequate Hydration?

• One of the single most important nutrition
  practices to optimize performance
• Adequate Fluid Intake
• Improves Performance
• Lowers Perceived Exertion
• Lowers Heart Rate Body Temperature
• Improves Running Speed

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Effects of Dehydration
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Water Loss with Activity

• People often lose 32-64 oz of fluid/hr (4-8
  cups) with moderate exercise in a mild
  environment
• This equals 2-4 pounds of weight loss
• 3 pound weight loss 2 in a 150 pound person

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How will I know if I am becoming dehydrated?

• Warning Signs
• Decreased stamina, speed, energy, muscle strength
• Headache
• Fatigue
• Confusion
• Nausea
• Muscle Cramps
• Dizziness

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Preventing Dehydration

• The best way to stay well hydrated for exercise
  is to drink
• Before
• During
• After

Remember! Drink regardless of whether you are
thirsty or not!
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What are My Fluid Needs?

• Fluid needs vary from person to person
• No one size fits all fluid plan
• Fluid losses are affected by
• Genetics
• Gender
• Body Weight
• Fitness Levels
• Climate (heat/humidity)
• Exercise Intensity

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General Fluid Guidelines
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Determining Personal Fluid Needs During Exercise

• Step 1 Determine Sweat Rate
• Equation for rate at which fluid is lost
• (Pre exercise wt Post exercise wt) wt of
  fluids consumed
• duration of activity
• Example
• Pre-exercise wt 150 lb
• Post-exercise wt 146 lb
• Volume of fluid consumed during exercise 16oz
  (1 lb)
• Exercise Duration 2 hours
• Calculations
• Fluid deficit 150 lb-146 lb 4 lb
• Total Sweat loss 4 lb (loss) 1 lb (consumed)
  5 lb
• Sweat rate 5 lb/ 2 hrs 2.5 lb per hour

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Determining Personal Fluid Needs During Exercise
(Cont.)

• Step 2 Develop Plan to Replace Fluid Losses
• Fluid needs 16 oz (2 Cups) for each pound lost
• Example
• Sweat Rate 2.5 lb per hour
• 2.5 lb/hour X 16 oz/lb 40 oz fluid per hour
• 40 oz per hr / 4 10 oz every 15 minutes

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Tips to Help Meet Fluid Needs

• Practice drinking during training sessions
• Your body adjusts to tolerate more fluids
• Drink small volumes frequently and start early
• Large volumes at once are not tolerated as well
• Drink before you are thirsty
• Thirst is not a good indicator of hydration
  status
• Palatable beverages increase consumption
• Flavored beverages
• Cool beverages
• 1 gulp 1 oz

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Can I Drink Too Much?

• Excessive fluid intake leads to Hyponatremia (low
  blood sodium levels)
• Hyponatremia is rare, it most often occurs when
• Exercise lasts more than 4 hours
• Athletes consume more fluid than they lose
• Low-sodium beverages are chosen
• This dilutes the blood/ doesnt replace sodium
  losses in sweat

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Signs and Symptoms of Hyponatremia

• Symptoms can be similar to dehydration
• Nausea, vomiting, extreme fatigue, dizziness,
  confusion, coma, seizures
• Symptoms unique to over hydration
• A headache that progressively gets worse
• Swelling of hands and feet
• Exercise core temperature is normal

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Preventing Hyponatremia

• Fluid intake should match fluid losses
• Do not drink more fluids than you are losing
• Weight gain indicates overdrinking
• Choose sports drinks that contain sodium
• Do not restrict sodium in the diet
• Increase sodium intakes at meals when exercising
  in hot weather on continuous days

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Why is Sodium Important?

• Sodium and chloride are the most abundant
  electrolytes in sweat.
• Repeated heavy sweating can lead to low levels
• Some people are salty sweaters
• Can cause muscle cramping hyponatremia
• Replacing electrolytes
• Include adequate salt in diet
• i.e.- soups, table salt, foods with visible salts
• Salt tablets with 180 mg sodium with gt 8 oz water

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Which Beverage is Best?
Iced Tea ?
Water ?
Soda ?
Sports Drinks ?
100 Juice ?
Milk ?
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How to Choose a Beverage

• Sports drinks are best for intense exercise
  lasting gt 1 hour.
• Choosing a Sports drinks
• 6-8 carbohydrate (14-19 gm carbohydrate/ 8 oz)
• Look for blend of sucrose, glucose fructose
• Stay away from carbonated beverages
• Examples Gatorade, Powerade, Accelerade
• Do not dilute sports drinks

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Pre-Competition Meals

• Goal To provide adequate carbohydrate energy and
  optimal hydration

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Eat to Compete

• It takes 1- 4 hours for food to leave your
  stomach
• High Carb foods are digested quickly
• High Protein foods can increase water
  requirements
• Foods high in Fat can stay in your stomach for
  more than 4 hours

Best choice for pre-game meals is something high
in Carbs - easy to digest and becomes quick
energy !
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Carbohydrates

• Stored as glycogen in the muscles
• Preferred/ Major source of energy
• Broken down rapidly
• Important in maximal exercise
• What happens when carbohydrate intakes are low
• Decreased athletic performance
• Muscle loss (protein used for energy)
• Fatigue

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Pre-Competition Meals
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Training Diet
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High Carbohydrate Breakfast Ideas(Each Meal Has
Over 100gm Carb)

• Breakfast 1
• Bagel (bagel-shop size)
• 1 Tbsp Jelly
• 8 oz Orange Juice
• Breakfast 2
• 1 Cup Raisin Bran w/ 1 Cup Skim Milk
• 1 Banana
• 8 oz Apple Juice
• Breakfast 3
• 2 6 Pancakes w/ 2 Tbsp Syrup
• 8 oz Skim Milk

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High Carbohydrate Dinner/Lunch
Each Meal has more than 100 gm CHO

• Sandwich
• Turkey Sandwich
• 8 oz Low-Fat Yogurt
• Pear
• 8oz Skim Milk
• Pizza
• 2 Slices of Thick Crust Pizza
• 12 oz Juice

• Pasta
• 1 ½ Cup Pasta w/ ½ Cup Sauce
• ½ Cup Green Beans
• 8 oz Skim Milk
• Mexican
• 1 Chicken and Bean Burrito
• 1 Cup Mexican Rice
• 8 oz Lemonade

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Tips for Precompetition Meals

• Know your body
• People tolerate different amounts/types of foods
• Always eat familiar foods before competition
• Experiment when training not competing
• Liquid meals often tolerated closer to exercise
• Examples Ensure, Boost, Slim Fast

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Nutrition Needs During the Competition

• When exercise lasts gt 1 hour, carbohydrate
• Enables athletes to exercise longer
• Improves running times
• Consume 30-60 gm carbohydrate per hour
• 24 oz sports drink 6-8 CHO 42-57gm
• Banana 30 gm
• 2 Gels 50 gm
• Power bar 45 gm
• 30 Jelly Beans 32 gm

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So What Should I Do for Tomorrow?

• Marathon Starts 700 am
• Start the night before
• Large, high-carb dinner with lots of fluids
• PM snack that is high in carbs with fluids
• Breakfast as tolerated
• Ideal to eat by 5 am
• Tried-and-true foods
• High carb, low-moderate protein, low fat
• Drink Fluids
• During event
• Be sure to drink and consume carbs as tolerated,
  replace sodium

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Contact Information

• Phone [phone]
• E-mail amy.boltz_at_rothmaninstitute.com
• Websites
• www.rothmaninstitute.com
• Presentation is available on our website
• Click on the Health and Wellness link
• www.nutritionwithamy.com

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Questions?