If you lose too much fluid in sweat without replacing it you risk becoming dehydrated. It takes only one percent dehydration to diminish energy, lose concentration and impair performance. Make sure that you compete at your best by ensuring you are hydrated and that you stay that way.

Research done at the University of Texas shows drinking water during exercise can improve your performance by six percent while drinking the optimal carbohydrate, water and electrolyte mix shows a performance improvement of 12 percent.

 

Top Tips

• Remember fluids throughout the day - This may be as simple as consuming a sports drink first thing in the morning, then drinking regularly throughout the day.
• Hydrate two to three hours before exercise - Active people should aim for at least 250ml of fluid at this time and an additional 125ml 10 to 20 minutes prior to exercising.
• Drink during workouts - Some people are reluctant to use sports drinks during a workout, not wanting to take in extra calories. However recent research has shown that consuming sports drinks, like Gatorade, during a workout can limit caloric intake throughout the rest of the day as well as warding off dehydration and muscle cramps because they help replenish both fluid and electrolytes (ie sodium and potassium) lost in sweat.
• Don't drink too much - Because endurance events last longer than most sports, endurance athletes also run a higher risk of overhydrating. Drink to replace sweat, don't over-drink. Overhydrating can lead to a rare but serious condition called hyponatremia. Hyponatremia occurs when a person takes in too much fluid, diluting the sodium levels in their blood to dangerously low levels.
• Athletes should aim to cross the finish line approximately the same weight that they crossed the start line