If We Become 1-2% Dehydrated It Will Have An Impact On Our Performance

If we become 1-2% dehydrated it will have an impact on performance – By Daniel Wellard, Physio4Life Personal Trainer and Nutritionist

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Man drinking

It’s soo warm already.

The time on my iPad say 0640 and I’m heading off to Putney to train all my people.

I watched Carol (the Scottish weather lady) on the BBC this morning give her weather forecast for today and apparently it’s going to be scorchio! And she also said it will probably be very warm over the weekend.

One of the most important things we should do during the hot weather is stay hydrated. Keep drinking!! Not Pimms, not champagne, but good old fashion AQUATUDINAL, H2O, WASSER, AGUA, or as us Brits like to say – WATER.

It’s a key aspect of the diet which I talk about in nutritional consultations for Bootcamp and PT. But, it is an area of nutrition which is overlooked.

If we become 1-2% dehydrated it will have an impact on performance. You may feel tired, groggy, weak and find it hard to concentrate. You might not be able to do PB’s.

So how much should we drink? Well, as I always say to my boys (who are terrible at keeping hydrated) if your wee is clear (or red if you’ve  eaten too much beetroot) you are hydrated. If it’s yellow you are not and need fluid.

For most of us it is estimated that we require 3 litres of fluid per day. 1 litre of fluid normally comes from food, such as fruit, vegetable, meats, fish. Therefore 2 litres need to be purposefully consumed from beverages. That’s 4 pints, 8 normal glasses of water or 4 x 500ml bottles of mineral water.

Heavier people will probably require more than the average person.

On days like today, our purposeful consumption of fluid also needs to increase by approximately 1 litre, and maybe more if you are playing sport or doing exercise.

I’m lucky, at the gym there is a water machine, so it’s easy to stay hydrated. For most of you, you’ll need to get  a large bottle  and put it on your desk and drink the lot by the end of the day.

So keep hydrated today and everyday. Enjoy the weather.

 

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