Athletes and Hydration

Here are a few concerns you may have over looked as an athlete concerning hydration.

-All athletes sweat. You may not think that you are losing a lot of moisture through sweat, but you are. This is especially true of athletes participating in water sports (swimming, diving, water polo, etc). You do not always realize the amount you are sweating because your body feels cooled or refreshed by the water, but you are losing water. If you play a sport that takes place outside in the winter or other cool/cold weather, like a late season football game or early season track or baseball, you may not think you are sweating a great deal, but you still need to replace the water you have lost.

-Sweat and the cold do not mix. Make sure you are adequately warmed up for the cold weather, but make sure you don't get too warm. Sometimes when you are too warm, you remove layers. If you do this too quickly, your body can cool down too quickly, especially as cold air meets sweat. You need to be very careful with your temperature control. The best tip is to dress in layers so you can remove some clothes, and you can remove them a thin layer at a time. Keep this in mind when participating in winter sports like skiing, hiking, ice skating, hockey, and many others.

-Think green when you think hydration. You do not need to waste resources to hydrate. Water bottles consume a lot of material as well as energy to produce and recycle them. Think beyond just recycling your water bottles. Invest in some sort of water purification system for your home. These can be added to your water line, placed on your faucet, or are as simple as a filtered pitcher, which you can also keep in your fridge to keep your water fresh, crisp, and cold. And your water will taste as good as bottled water. You can also invest in a water bottle which is convenient for your sport. This may mean that it comes with a waist belt for while you run, a squeeze bottle if you play a sport with a mask, or it may just be an aluminum bottle for your everyday use. These are great because they are reusable, and a great way to publicly show your commitment to green living.