Is water that important? You bet your life it is.

It's pretty steamy out there this week. If you're exercising, you better make sure you're drinking plenty of fluids. Here is a reprint of some tips to make sure you're taking in enough:

At a time like this, water can be a lifesaver

CAROLYN THORNTON Journal Sports Writer

Source: The Providence Journal

PubDate: Friday, 8/4/2006

H2O. Our doctors urge us to drink eight glasses of it a day, and if we're exercising, to fill up that glass even a few more times.

Is water really that important?

You bet your life it is - even more so at a time like this, when athletes are practicing outdoors while the heat index is reaching dangerously high levels.

Between July 17 and Aug. 1, six people died of heat stroke throughout the United States. Two of the individuals were hikers and four were football players, including an 11-year-old boy and a 12-year-old boy who were at youth football practice.

Making sure you are properly hydrated while exercising in the heat can go a long way toward making sure you don't become another one of those statistics, says Dr. Douglas Casa, Director of Athletic Training Education at the University of Connecticut.

Just how much do you need? That varies from person to person, he says, but as a general rule of thumb, the National Athletic Trainers' Association recommends 17 to 20 ounces of water or some type of sports drink 2 to 3 hours before exercise and then an additional 7 to 10 ounces 10 to 20 minutes before the workout.

Replacing the fluids lost through sweat and urine during exercise can generally be accomplished by consuming 7 to 10 ounces of liquid every 10 to 20 minutes, according to NATA.

Once practice is over, athletes should continue to replace the lost fluids -- ideally within 2 hours, NATA recommends -- being sure to include "water to restore hydration status, carbohydrates to replenish glycogen stores and electrolytes to speed rehydration."

Regular water should be sufficient for workouts lasting less than an hour, Casa said, but he advises switching to a sports drink "when doing anything beyond an hour or anything extremely intensive."

Beverages to avoid are ones with lots of sugar, which can cause an upset stomach; caffeine or alcohol, which can cause more fluid loss through urination and actually reduce the ability to retain fluid; and carbonated drinks, which can fill you up before you've had enough liquids.

"Definitely do not wait until you are thirsty," says Russ Fiore, head athletic trainer at Brown University. "By then you are probably dehydrated, and it's very difficult to catch up once you're dehydrated. The next day is usually when you get in trouble."

A drop in weight is a good indicator, says Fiore, who weighs athletes before and after practice sessions and has them drink 20 ounces of water for every pound lost.

The color of your urine is a sign of whether you are properly hydrated, as well, Casa adds.

"Dark like apple juice means you are probably not doing a good enough job" replacing your fluids, he says. "Light like lemonade" means you're probably on target. If it's completely clear, you may be overhydrated.

Also go by how you feel. If you are experiencing dizziness, headache, weakness, cramps, chills, nausea, vomiting, head or neck heat sensations, decreased performance or extreme fatigue beyond normal tiredness, "you need to let someone know you're not feeling well," Casa said.

Before it's too late.

Posted by Carolyn Thornton  at 5:01 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)