Drinking regime is fundamental for each sport
Body fluids are basic sources and transport mediums of energy in organism. Choosing the right drink is very important for each sportsmen. Thus when making a decision which drink is suitable, one should consider characteristics and type of performance and climatic conditions in which the activity will take place. What is actually necessary to know about drinking regime?
„Person can starve for about 3 months but dies of thirst after 3 days.“
Drinking regime is a necessary part of nutrition in common life and the same is valid for sports activities of each level – recreational and competitive. More or less each living organism is dependent on water. Water maintains stability of inner areas and provides entire transport of all substances in organism. It delivers nutrients to cells and takes away metabolic waste. It also keeps human temperature and takes irreplaceable role in digestion and nutrients absorbency. Water shortage means critic situation for each organism.
Regularity is necessary. Do not wait until you feel thirsty and have bottle of water always at hand. Thirst signals that organism is dehydrated and body calls for help. In summer and during longer lasting stay outside in sunshine, increase your liquids intake up to 5 liters a day. It is necessary to supply the body not only with water but also with minerals which we lose by sweating. That is why some part of daily liquids intake (1 – 1,5 l) should consist of mineral waters rich in important ions.
When talking about sportsmen, dehydration means critical state. Organism is overheated and performance is decreased. As the body misses medium which supplies the cell with nutrients and takes away metabolites. Due to liquids shortage organism recovery can be worse, too. So when you do some sport, you should pay attention to your drinking regime even much more!
And what about caffein? If you need strong coffee for your right functioning, increase your daily liquids intake. Caffeine dehydrates organism and that is why it is important to drink down coffee at least by 3times higher amount of water.
Drinking regime during sports
Choosing the right drinking regime for your sports activity is quite complicated thing. When deciding which drink is suitable one should consider the following two things – length and type of the activity and also climatic conditions under which the activity will take place.
Quiet family ride on bicycle very much differs from demanding whole day hiking in mountains. If you are planning low intensity activity then you can drink still water. Do not use carbonated products since the carbon dioxide worse water absorption and it also causes unpleasant stomach problems. Ion or energy drinks are not important because the body will manage with its mineral storage. When talking about more intensive activity then you should pay the attention to the right drink much more. Body looses by sweating also minerals that play important role during activity. Pure water dilutes the minerals you have in the body and the final ions concentration in body will be even lower than before drinking. You will feel worse and your performance will be worse, too. Prevent these situations by using special sports drinks containing required minerals content.
Osmolality – number of substances dissolved in liquids
Osmolality indicates volume of osmotic pressure of substances that are dissolved in 1 kg of liquids. Quantity is indicated in miliOsmomols/kg. Number of water and minerals supplied to organism must be in balance with is indicated by the above mentioned osmolality. Healthy person should daily intake about 2 – 3 kg of water (including water contained in groceries) which should contain 100 – 200 mOsmol of sodium ion and 60 – 80 mOsmol of potassium ions. Normal value of blood osmolality is 285 – 290 ± mOsmol/kg. On the basis of osmolality of body liquids, the sports drinks are divided into 3 categories:
Isotonic drink – osmolality equals 290 ± 15 mOsmol/kg
Hypotonic drink – osmolality equals or is smaller than 250 mOsmol/kg
Hypertonic drink – osmolality equals or is higher than 340 mOsmol/kg
Human liquids area
Water is taken to the cell area by osmotic pressure. Hypotonic drink provides hydration even during high performance.
Balance between isotonic drink and cells liquids can be destroyed by sweating during activity then the isotonic drink will start behaving hypertonically.
Water is taken away from the cell by osmotic pressure to „dilution“ of hypertonic drink – hypertonic dehydration
ISOtonic drink
Isotonic drinks have the same osmotic pressure as human liquids. Human sweat has lower osmolality than human liquids. During performance and increased isotonic drink consummation higher intake of electrolytes in comparison with outtake may appear which means that one may intake more electrolytes than one needs. In such case organism is uselessly burdened. Isotonic drinks can be well used during highly intensive performance and after the end of physical activity in the recovery phase as the first liquids, energy and minerals intake.
HYPOtonic drink
Hypotonic drinks have lower osmolality then human liquids. That is why their usage during physical activity is suitable. What should be the final drink concentration? Follow the basic factors:
Length of performance → the longer the performance is, the higher the need of energy and electrolytes intake is and the higher concentration is needed
Temperature and humidity → the higher the temperature is and the higher the humidity is, the higher water expenditure appears to provide organism cooling (sweating), the lower concentration is needed
Most producers provide the customer with possibilities which concentration of drink should be in each situation used.
HYPERtonic drink
Hypertonic drinks have higher osmolality than human liquids. Their usage during physical activity is in the most cases not suitable. Wrong usage of these drinks may affect inner balance and decrease performance. Usage of such drinks is suitable only in phases of very large shortage of electrolytes but do never use such drinks during physical performance. Most of these drinks can be weakened (diluted with) water and one can thus get drink with lower osmolality which can be also used during performance.
What else could be found on the market?
One can found on the market drinks loaded by energy. Their main aim is to equal blood sugar level which is consumed and used during performance and supply depleted energy. We must nevertheless follow few principles to have the drink which will meet our requirements. Carbohydrates concentration should not be over 10 % and hourly sugar dosage should not get over 60 - 70 grams. Energy drinks are besides simple sugars enriched also by energizing substances, such as caffeine, guarana or taurine. These drinks can by used in a common life and also during sport activities. They will slowly help you to delay the onset of fatigue when driving and provide you with energy for physical activity and gets you to the right competitive level.